University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


COL.  GEORGE  w.  GOETHALS,  U.  S.  Army, 
Chief  Engineer  who  is  in  charge  of  the  Panama  Canal  Work. 


SEARCHLIGHT 

on 

THE  PANAMA  CANAL 

or 
America's  Greatest  Enterprise 

By 
DAVID  NEWTON  E.  CAMPBELL,  M.D. 

V 


Published  by  The  Baltimore  Book  Co. 
1369  North  Carey  Street 
Baltimore,  Md.,  U.  S.  A. 


COPYRIGHTED,    1909 
ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


FOSNOT     AND      WILLIAMS      CO. 
BALTIMORE,     MD. 


FI5I* 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Travel  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  (Map  of  the  Canal 
Zone),  showing  the  Municipal  Districts,  the  Waterway, 
Dams,  Railroad,  etc 9 

II.  Early  History  of  the  Isthmus.  Panama  seceded  from 
Colombia.  Purchase  and  transfer  of  the  Canal  Zone. 
The  Isthmian  Canal  Commission.  Congressional  and 
Local  Laws  for  the  Canal  Zone 15 

III.  First  Day's  Experience  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama 25 

IV.  Panama     (fleas)     Indignation    Meeting    when    President 

Roosevelt  was  about  to  visit  the  Isthmus 33 

V.     Grandeur    of    the    Pacific    Ocean    and    the    author's    first 

contact  with  the  Panama  "Invincibles" 39 

VI.     Houses  in  Colon  and  along  the  Canal  Zone 45 

VII.  Origin  of  the  Panama  Canal ;  Words  of  Ferdinand  M. 
de  Lesseps  at  the  First  Stroke  of  the  Pick  in  1880; 
Cost  of  the  French  Canal ;  Mute  but  eloquent  evidences 
of  the  French  Failure ;  Bad  management  and  reckless 
expenditure  the  cause  of  failure;  Sale  to  the  Americans 

and  instrument  of  conveyance 51 

« 
VIII.     Sad    and    deplorable    condition    of    the    Laborers    on    the 

Isthmus    . . : 59 

IX.  Efforts  to  uplift  the  Laborers  and  ameliorate  their  condi- 
tion; Letters  to  that  effect  sent  to  and  received  from 
Miss  Gertrude  Beeks,  Secretary  of  The  National  Civic 
Federation  of  New  York;  Mr.  Charles  R.  Towson, 
International  Secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  New  York;  Mr.  A.  Bruce  Minear,  Secretary 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  on  the  Canal  Zone;  Colonel  George 
W.  Goethals,  Chief  Engineer  and  Chairman  of  the 
Isthmian  Canal  Commission 71 

X.  President  Roosevelt  apprised  of  the  sad  condition  of  the 
Laborers  on  the  Canal  Zone;  Jimcrowism  at  the  Fed- 
eral Postoffice  on  the  Canal  Zone  under  Republican 
Administration;  Letter  on  the  subject  of  Jimcrowism 
at  the  Postoffice  sent  to  the  Postmaster  General  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  and  his  reply 81 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XL  The  Canal  Zone  an  Ideal  Paradise  for  the  White  People; 
Their  houses,  schools,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Women's  Clubs, 
hospitals,  roads,  gardens,  docks,  health  on  the  Canal 
Zone,  Charity  work  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission ; 
The  Man  of  the  Day ;  An  Idea  satisfied 91 

XII.  Some  caustic  and  severe  arraignments  on  the  Americans 
by  West  Indians  and  Panamanians,  itv  which  preference 
is  expressed  for  the  British  Policy  toward  colored 
people  105 

XIII.  A  DEFENSE  offered  for  the  Americans.    It  includes  the 

Speaker's  Error ;  Origin  of  the  Cry  of  Racial  Inferior- 
ity; The  Race-tree  proves  the  Cry  to  be  unfounded; 
Egyptian  ideas  common  now ;  How  the  Egyptians  ex- 
celled in  the  -various  arts ;  Their  glory  waned  like  that 
of  other  nations  and  peoples;  Signs  of  greatness  in  the 
present  Race-branch ;  Comparison  of  the  white  and 
black  races  as  slaves ;  Deterrent  effects  of  the  Cry  of 
racial  Inferiority;  Negroes  progress  in  41  years  under 
Anglo-Americans;  Truly  great  colored  General  and 
Ruler ;  Distinguished  white  American  acknowledges 
Negroes'  greatness ;  Complete  separation  of  both  Races 
advocated ;  Duty  of  the  Present  favored  Race in 

XIV.  THE  DEFENSE    (continued)  ;   British  Emancipation  of 

slaves  in  the  West  Indies ;  Loss  of  racial  pride  the 
result  of  the  supposed  union  of  the  races ;  Education,  its 
advantages  and  disadvantages ;  Lack  of  progress  along 
many  lines ;  PrQgress  of  Negro  population  under  British 
rule  compared  with  progress  of  the  Negro  race  under 
Anglo-Americans;  Alphabetical  poem;  Wonders  of  the 
World  to  which  the  Panama  Canal  should  be  added 
when  completed 135 

XV.     WOMAN,  Her  Platform,  Protection  and  Treatment 151 

XVI.     The  United  States'  offer  to  the  Republic  of  Colombia  by 

an  Act  of  Congress  for  the  purchase  of  the  Canal  Zone  165 

XVII.     The    Panama    Treaty,    including    its    preamble    and    26 

articles    173 

XVIII.     The  Great  Work  at  the  Gatun  Dam 187 

XIX.  The  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal.  Shall  the  United 
States  rule  the  world?  Sunday  in  Latin  Republics. 
Recommendations  193 

A  Bashful  Panama  Lover's  Wit  (Poem) 202 


VIEWS  AND   SCENES 

PAGE 

Colonel    Goethals Frontispiece 

Map  of  the  Canal  Zone 8 

Native  Canoes  and  Turtle  Carroll,  Colon 24 

Views   at   Cristobal,   Canal   Zone 24 

Reservoir  back  of   Mount  Hope,  capacity  508,000,000  gallons,   il/2 

miles  long  by  ^2  mile  wide 32 

Sunday  Bull  Fight,  Panama 38 

View  of  new  coal  hoist  at   Cristobal 38 

Light  House  at  Colon 44 

Wireless  Station  at  Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama 50 

Grand  Central  Hotel  and  Park,  Panama 58 

Cock  Fight  to  the  Finish,  Colon .' .  58 

Steam    Shoyel   at   work   in   Culebra    Cut,   showing   large   rocks    in 
mouth  of  shovel,  which  takes  up  two  tons  of  material  at  each 

mouthful,  and  a  new  mouthful  every  16  seconds 70 

President  Roosevelt's  visit  to  Chief  Engineer  Stevens 80 

The   Boulevard  of   Colon 90 

Mosquito-screen  houses  along  the  Canal  Zone 104 

The  wooden  pier  at  La  Boca,  on  the  Pacific,  800  feet  long no 

Egyptian   products  as  signs  of   their  greatness 134 

Castleton  Gardens,  Kingston,  Jamaica,  West  Indies 150 

Col.  W.  C.  Gorgas,  M.  D 164 

The  Bank  of  the  American  Nation 171 

Washington   Monument 172 

The  famous  Culebra  Cut,  with  explanation 186 

Honeymoon  trip  at  Panama.     The  new  shops  at  Gorgona 200 


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lW^f\'        *=lj|si=r 


CHAPTER  I. 

TRAVEL   TO   THE    ISTHMUS   OF   PANAMA. 

As  I  am  fond  of  traveling"  and  viewing  new  sceneries,  it  did 
not  take  me  long  in  deciding  to  visit  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
where  America's  greatest  enterprise  is  being  conducted.  I 
informed  but  few  friends  of  my  contemplated  vacation  for 
rest  and  recreation,  and  bidding  adieu  to  wife  and  children, 
without  any  other  ceremony,  I  left  Baltimore,  Maryland,  Jan- 
uary 29,  1908. 

At  9.40  A.  M.  I  was  seated  in  an  express  train  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Line  at  Union  Station.  Soon  the  signal  bell 
sounded,  the  engine  purled  its  curling  and  ascending  smoke, 
and  the  iron  horse  was  seen  moving  at  about  forty  miles  an 
hour  toward  New  York,  where  I  was  met  by  Secretary  Bell,  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  I  was  greatly 
impressed  by  the  Secretary's  courteous  and  obliging  manner. 
He  took  me  through  the  Association  building.  Everything 
was  in  the  best  order  and  as  neat  as  could  be. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "the  home  life  of  Baltimore  is  quite  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  New  York.  Here  the  people  have  no  room 
to  turn  around.  They  are  usually  crowded.  Baltimore  is  the 
Monumental  City  of  'beautiful  homes,'  and  the  people  have 
plenty  of  room.  Travelers  say  it  is  one  of  the  finest  cities  in 
the  United  States,  and  I  believe  the  statement  to  be  true." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "it  is  even  said  by  observant  visitors  that 
the  colored  people  are  better  housed  in  Baltimore  than  in  any 
other  city  of  the  States.  What  is  your  address  in  New  York? 
I  would  like  to  know,  so  that  I  could  send  you  a  letter  occasion- 
ally during  my  travels  in  Central  and  South  America.  I  intend 
to  see  everything  that  can  be  seen  and  make  the  best  possible 
use  of  my  time." 

"Our  Y.  M.  C.  A.  address  is  252  West  23rd  street,  New 
York  City,"  he  said.  • 


IO  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"Thank  you,"  I  replied,  as  I  wrote  the  number  in  my  note- 
book. "I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  accept  a  copy  of  this  book 
for  the  library  of  the  Association.  It  will  amuse  and  interest 
the  young  men  in  the  science  of  Astrology,  which  made  the 
Egyptians  famous  in  ages  past.  We  modern  people  do  not 
understand  much  about  this  important  and  interesting  subject." 
I  then  handed  him  a  copy  of  the  X-Ray  of  Life.  He  accom- 
panied me  to  Hotel  Maceo,  which  is  situated  at  the  opposite 
side  of  the  same  street,  near  Broadway,  where  I  remained  that 
night. 

At  3  P.  M.  Thursday,  January  3Oth,  three  signals  sounded 
from  the  steamer  Panama,  one  of  the  vessels  of  the  Panama 
Railroad  Steamship  Company,  indicating  the  time  for  sailing. 
Officers  and  men  became  busy,  and  the  white-decked  ship, 
belching  black,  curling  smoke  from  her  funnel,  was  again 
released  from  her  moorings  to  sail  the  distance  of  1,975  naut- 
ical miles. 

As  the  ship  emerged  from  Pier  57,  North  River,  the  usual 
sights  of  waiving  hands  and  handkerchiefs,  and  expressions 
of  best  wished,  safe  passage,  good  luck  and  good-bye  were  seen 
and  heard. 

Few  minutes  later  the  imposing  Statue  of  Liberty  came  to 
view.  As  I  gazed  upon  that  stately  monument,  I  wondered  if 
my  life  would  be  spared  to  see  it  again.  What  a  peculiar  sen- 
sation creeps  over  a  traveler  as  such,  thoughts  dart  through  the 
brain !  To  me,  it  was  a  moment  of  deep  reflection  and  medita- 
tion. The  statue  diminished  in  size  the  farther  we  went,  and 
finally  it  disappeared  in  the  horizon.  Then  Sandy  Hook  was 
seen,  and  soon  it  receded  out  of  sight.  To  the  east  there  was  a 
long  stretch  of  indented  coast,  which  seemed  to  console  the 
mind  that  we  were  within  calling  distance  of  land  in  case  of 
accident. 

The  steamer  plunged,  racked  and  squeaked  as  the  rolling 
waves  of  the  mighty  Atlantic  dashed  with  daring  and  irresis- 
tible fury  against  her  deck.  "Rough  sea,"  said  a  sailor  as  he 
passed  to  adjust  some  ropes.  "Yes,  sir,"  I  replied,  "but  I  hope 
it  will  not  continue  long  at  this  rate." 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  II 

"Why,  my  good  fellow,  you  have  seven  days  of  it,  and  this 
old  and  uncontrollable  sea  is  likely  to  be  very  much  worse. 
Sometimes  it  is  so  rough  that  a  passenger  finds  it  difficult  to 
stand,  sit  or  lie,"  said  the  sailor. 

"Yes,  I  am  sure  the  sea  was  as  unruly  in  Byron's  day,  when 
he  gave  his  eulogy  on  it,  as  it  is  now,"  I  said. 

"What  did  Byron  say  about  the  sea?"  he  asked,  looking 
straight  at  me,  as  if  he  thought  I  did  not  know  what  I  was 
talking  about. 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  I  think 
as  the  poet  looked  upon  the  ceaseless  surges  of  the  ocean  he 
said: 

Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean — roll ! 

Ten  thousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain ; 
Man  marks  the  earth  with  ruin — his  control 

Stops  with  the  shore : — upon  the  watery  plain 
The  wrecks  are  all  thy  deed;  nor  doth  remain 

A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own, 
When,  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain, 

He  sinks  into  thy  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 

Without  a  grave,  unknelled,  uncoffined,  and  unknown ! 

"Oh,  yes,  I  have  heard  that  poem  before.  I  hope  none  on 
this  trip  will  experience  that  'bubbling  groan'  referred  to  by 
the  poet;  for  I  tell  you  it  is  a  very  sad  thing  to  be  buried  at 
sea  without  any  grave,"  he  said  as  he  walked  away.  . 

At  the  suggestion  that  singing  calms  a  raging  sea,  one  of 
the  passengers  said:  "Join  in  a  chorus,  boys,  and  let  us  sing 
any  old  tune  to  these  words : 

"  'We  are  sailing  on  the  ocean. 
Floating,   gliding  with   the  tide.' " 

"All  right,"  replied  the  others.  And  they  did  sing,  but  still 
the  sea  raged  and  its  billows  rolled. 

The  shades  of  evening  were  then  deepening  into  perceptible 
darkness,  and  the  canopy  was  crimsoned  with  the  reflected  hues 
of  the  setting  sun.  The  sky  above  and  blue  sea  below  pre- 
sented a  picturesque  view  on  the  distant  horizon.  But  look  for 
a  moment  at  the  twinkling  stars!  What  beauty  and  magnifi- 
cence are  seen  as  the  heavens  turned  on  its  countless  electric 
lights  to  shine  on  the  restless  ocean  beneath !  What  splendor 


12  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

does  the  starry  heavens  present  in  a  clear  night  on  the  seas ! 
"How  impressive  are  the  sights  on  the  Atlantic !"  said  I  to 
myself. 

"We  are  now  passing  Cape  Hatteras,"  said  the  ship  mate. 
"The  sea  here  is  always  rough.  More  ships  wreck  about  this 
point  than  at  any  other  part  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic."  The 
day  was  clear,  but  the  sea  roared,  the  billows  dashed  furiously 
and  the  wind  blew  fiercely.  Nearly  all  the  passengers  took 
refuge  in  their  beds,  and  the  strongest  consolation  for  safety 
was  the  fact  that  the  ship  was  guided  by  the  master  hand  of  a 
very  renowned  captain. 

Days  came  and  went  without  any  sight  of  land.  Sunday  the 
Bahama  Group  of  Islands  came  to  view.  San  Salvador,  Mari- 
guana,  Inagua  and  the  Caicos  Islands  were  pointed  out  to  us. 
Dotting  the  ocean  here  and  there  with  their  beautiful  pastures, 
one  felt  inclined  to  visit  such  places  if  it  were,  possible  and 
look  at  all  that  could  be  seen.  But  the  ship  was  making  about 
fifteen  knots  per  hour,  and  the  islands  soon  disappeared  from 
view. 

Monday  morning  I  awoke  and  saw  the  indescribable  beauty 
of  the  Aurora  Borealis  in  the  tropics.  But  the  light  appeared 
to  the  south  of  the  ship.  On  land  it  is  seen  to  the  east,  and  I 
wondered  why  the  morning  light  was  not  seen  at  its  accus- 
tomed place  to  the  east.  All  was  calm,  and  old  Sol,  like  a  great 
ball  of  fire,  soon  peeped  out  of  the  ocean. 

The  shores  of  Cuba  were  then  seen.  Look  at  those  verdant 
hilltops  and  mountain  peaks  tossing  their  proud  heads  sky- 
ward !  "The  pearl  of  the  Antilles"  is,  indeed,  a  beautiful  place 
when  viewed  from  a  passing  ship.  Then  Cape  Maysi,  situated 
to  the  western  extremity,  came  to  view  with  its  imposing 
monument  as  I  thought,  but  I  was  later  informed  that  what  I 
saw  was  a  "lighthouse." 

Soon  we  were  listening  to  the  advice  of  a  man  who  knew  all 
about  the  Isthmus.  He  had  been  there  some  years  before, 
when  there  were  plenty  of  mosquitoes,  and  when  people  died 
like  flies  in  an  epidemic.  At  the  time  of  his  visit  the  people 
had  no  water  save  what  they  caught  in  their  tanks  during  a 
shower  of  rain.  He  looked  wise  from  experience  and  his 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  13 

words  did  not  fall  on  deaf  ears.  He  warned  all  newcomers 
to  avoid  "this,  that  and  the  next  thing,"  if  they  really  wished 
to  return  alive  to  the  States. 

We  knew  the  bosom  of  the  tropics  was  reached  from  the 
warm  air  and  gentle  breeze.  Toward  evening  the  mountains 
of  Hayti  were  discerned  in  the  distance  to  the  left,  and -passed 
that  night. 

Tuesday  the  arms  of  all  passengers  were  inspected  by  the 
ship's  surgeon,  and  wherever  the  vaccination  mark  was  not 
clearly  visible,  the  vaccine  point  was  used.  Next  morning  land 
was  seen,  and  our  ship  entered  the  harbor  of  Colon  and 
anchored  at  Pier  n,  where  President  Roosevelt  landed  several 
months  before.  Everybody  became  busy.  Some  were  gazing 
at  the  tall  cocoanut  trees,  wafting  their  proud  leaves  in  the 
gentle  breeze ;  others  were  attracted  by  scenes  about  the  dock, 
and  the  beautiful  lawn  near  the  American  buildings  along  the 
coast  at  Cristobal.  Although  it  was  only  half -past  ten  o'clock, 
it  was  hot  like  blazes. 

Every  passenger  was  ordered  on  deck  to  be  inspected  by  the 
Panamanian  health  officer,  who  came  on  board.  His  complexion 
was  swarthy,  hair  jet  black,  but  rich  and  abundant,  look  daring, 
eyes  mischievous  but  kind,  face  pleasant,  height  medium  and 
weight  about  170  pounds. 

He  wore  a  professional  beard,  stylishly  kept,  light  brown 
khaki  suit,  trimmed  with  brass  buttons,  and  also  a  pair  of  yel- 
low leggins.  He  stood  with  the  American  ship  officers,  and 
each  passenger  passed  before  him  as  the  name  was  called.  His 
eyebrows  were  joined,  a  sign  claimed  by  physiognomists  to 
indicate  a  vigorous  mind. 

With  his  sharp  glances,  he  looked  at  each  passenger  care- 
fully to  satisfy  himself  that  he  or  she  was  in  good  health. 
Those  whose  healthy  vigor  appeared  doubtful  were  requested 
to  stay  aside  for  the  purpose  of  further  examination.  Rigorous 
rules  and  regulations  have  been  enforced  by  the  Sanitary 
Department  to  insure  entrance  into  the  country  of  only  healthy 
individuals. 

We  were  then  permitted  to  land,  and  joy  filled  all  hearts. 
How  glad  a  traveler  feels  to  be  on  shore  again  after  sailing 


14  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

several  days  and  nights  and  escaping  the  perils  of  the  sea! 
Ashore  on  the  Isthmus !  What  a  contrast  is  the  scene  at 
Colon's  wharf  with  the  pier  at  New  York,  left  seven  days  ago ! 
The  imposing  statue  of  General  Aspinwall,  which  stands  on 
the  beach,  first  attracted  my  attention.  He  was  the  American 
who  first  built  the  Panama  Railroad,  and  his  statue  still  looks 
across  the  harbor  where  he  landed  years  ago  with  the  iron  rails 
of  modern  civilization. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY    HISTORY   OF   THE   ISTHMUS   OF   PANAMA. 

At  the  court  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  King  and  Queen 
of  Spain,  Christopher  Columbus,  through  a  monk,  made  his 
request  for  ships,  men  and  money  to  navigate  westward  to 
India.  At  first  he  was  unsuccessful,  but  was  afterward  made 
an  Admiral  in  command  of  three  little  ships  and  120  men. 
He  set  sail  August  3,  1492.  After  a  long  voyage,  on  Friday. 
October  I2th,  of  the  same  year,  he  sighted  San  Salvador,  in 
the  Bahama  Group,  and  rejoiced  that  his  undertaking  was 
successful.  Cuba  and  Hayti  were  visited  and  a  colony  was 
planted. 

But  his  flagship,  the  Santa  Maria,  had  been  wrecked,  and  he 
had  to  return  home  with  the  Pinta  and  Nina.  He  took  back  to 
Spain  gold,  plants,  birds  and  other  animals,  together  with  six 
natives,  which  were  the  wonder  of  all  Spain.  Soon  he  crossed 
the  ocean  again  and  landed  at  Santa  Dominica.  Two  more 
voyages  were  made,  during  one  of  which  he  visited  the  main- 
land of  South  America  and  sailed  around  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
He  quarreled  with  his  comrades  and  displeased  the  new  Gov- 
ernor sent  from  Spain.  Finally  he  was  sent  home  in  irons, 
and  died  in  Spain  May  20,  1506. 

AN    ERROR    THAT    SHOULD   BE    CORRECTED. 

It  has  been  written  and  taught  that  Christopher  Columbus 
discovered  the  New  World.  But  how  can  such  a  statement  be 
true?  A  bright  pupil  in  one  of  the  schools  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  after  studying  his  geography  and  listening  to  the  teacher's 
lecture,  asked :  "How  can  it  be  true  that  Christopher  Columbus 
discovered  America  and  the  West  Indies,  when,  on  his  arrival, 
he  found  thousands  of  families  residing  in  the  New  World?" 
The  teacher's  reply  was :  "Well,  that  is  what  history  says,  but 
I  cannot  understand  why  it  is  written  that  he  'discovered'  these 
places." 


l6  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

This  erroneous  teaching  should  have  been  corrected  long 
ago.  If  the  Indians  were  inhabiting  the  mainland  and  islands 
of  America  when  Columbus  arrived,  then  it  is  clear  he  did  not 
discover  them.  Nothing  more  should  have  been  written  and 
taught  than  that  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  Was  The 
First  Intelligent  European  Who  Visited  The  New  World  And 
Recorded  What  He  Saw  And  Did,  Being  Familiar  With  The 
Art  Of  Writing. 

HISTORY— 

The  Isthmus  of  Panama  was  visited  by  Columbus  1494. 

In  1513  A.  D.,  Vasco  Nunex  de  Balboa,  whose  portrait  is 
now  to  be  found  on  the  silver  coins  of  the  Panama  Republic, 
sailed  in  his  crude  boat  up  the  El  Rio  Lagarta,  or  Alligator 
River,  known  now  as  the  Chagres.  He  encountered  innumer- 
able obstacles ;  but,  nevertheless,  forged  his  way  against  the 
swift  current  of  the  river,  and,  after  crossing  the  western 
portion  of  the  Cordillera  Mountain,  he  saw,  to  his  great  delight, 
tKe  plains  and  extensive  savannahs  adjoining  the  tranquil 
waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Onward  he  went  until  he  reached 
the  ocean  and  bathed  his  face  and  feet  in  its  waters.  He  then 
claimed  all  the  adjacent  land  as  a  possession  for  the  crown  of 
Spain. 

After  Balboa's  additional  "discovery"  had  reached  Spain, 
two  years  later,  Captain  Tello  de  Guzman,  a  famous  sailor,  was 
sent  to  explore  the  waters.  While  sailing  not  far  from  the 
shore,  he  saw  an  Indian  fishing  village,  called  in  the  native 
tongue  "Panama,"  which  means  abounding  in  fish,  and  that 
name  was  given  to  the  whole  strip  of  land  now  constituting 
the  Panama  Republic. 

In  1518,  Don  Pedro  Arias  Davila,  governor  of  the  Isthmian 
territory,  settled  a  colony  at  Panama,  which  became  a  very 
important  center,  and  trade  grew  so  rapidly  that  Emperor 
Charles  V.  made  it  a  city  that  year.  On  the  Atlantic  Coast  the 
land  was  called  Darien,  as  the  earlier  geographies  wrote  it — 
"The  Isthmus  of  Darien  is  Panama." 

For  more  than  a  century  Panama  grew  in  size  and  impor- 
tance. It  was  attacked  at  times  by  English  captains,  as  Drake 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  I/ 

and  Hawkins,  who  plundered  Cartagena,  Puerto  Bello  and 
Nombre  de  Dios,  along  the  Caribbean  coast.  In  1670  Morgan 
gathered  the  Brethren  of  the  Coast,  French  and  English  cor- 
sairs, who,  with  half  a  dozen  cruisers,  twenty-four  vessels  and 
2,200  men,  decided  to  reach  Panama  and  capture  it. 

Captain  Bradley,  with  five  ships  and  800  men,  soon  took  and 
held  the  stone  castle  and  double  batteries,  which  overlooked  the 
Chagres  River.  Here  Morgan  left  his  fleet,  and  with  1,200 
picked  men,  in  boats,  he  sailed  up  the  rapid  stream.  But  his 
men,  unaccustomed  to  rowing  against  such  rapid  current,  soon 
became  exhausted.  They  then  forsook  their  boats  and 
attempted  to  travel  on  foot  by  the  bank  of  the  river.  For  more 
than  a  week  they  suffered  great  torture  from  the  numerous 
insects,  flies,  mosquitoes,  ants,  also  from  tropical  heat  and  star- 
vation. But  the  Spaniards  had  heard  of  the  contemplated 
attack,  and  were  prepared  to  give  the  invaders  a  warm  recep- 
tion. Fields  and  gardens  were  stripped  of  everything  eatable, 
cattle  and  food  were  hidden,  and  the  way  by  which  the  enemy 
would  travel  was  lined  with  Spanish  fighters,  who  from  am- 
bush waged  a  relentless  war  on  their  advancing  foes. 

Undaunted,  however,  the  Englishman  and  his  followers 
pressed  forward.  They  fed  on  calves,  dogs,  pigs  or  anything 
that  came  in  their  way.  Finally  they  saw  the  blue  waters  of 
the  Pacific,  and  the  savannahs  with  herds  and  cattle,  and  they 
were  encouraged.  The  Spaniards  were  apprised  of  the  enemy's 
approach j  and,  having  an  army  of  numerical  superiority,  they 
attacked  the  approaching  enemy  in  the  open  country.  But  the 
Englishmen  were  too  effective  in  their  aim  and  soon  repulsed 
the  Spaniards.  Panama  surrendered  and  was  destroyed  by  fire 
after  the  enemy  had  secured  $10,000,000  in  money,  also  metals, 
pearls,  gems,  etc.,  which  the  victors  took  back  to  the  estuary 
of  the  Chagres  and  divided  among  themselves.  Panama  city 
was  rebuilt,  but  was  again  burnt  in  1737. 

Transportation  was  conducted  on  horseback,  but  principally 
in  small  boats  along  the  rivers.  For  nearly  a  century  things 
went  on  without  any  change  or  very  important  event.  By  that 
time  all  the  territory  of  Colombia,  Panama,  and  adjacent 
islands  had  become  the  Republic  of  New  Granada.  In  1848,  W. 


l8  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

H.  Aspinwall,  John  L.  Stephens,  Henry  Chauncy  and  others 
secured  from  the  Government  of  New  Granada  the  exclusive 
right  of  establishing  a  railroad  across  the  Isthmus  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 

By  a  special  act  in  the  Legislature  of  New  York  State  the 
Panama  Railroad  Company  was  incorporated,  with  full  powers 
to  construct  and  operate  a  railroad  across  the  Isthmus.  The 
Government  of  New  Granada  afterward  became  the  Republic 
of  Colombia,  which  granted  a  new  concession  to  the  Panama 
Railroad  Company  in  1867.  The  Company  had  to  pay  the 
Colombian  Republic  $250,000  annually,  "and  to  transport  free 
of  charge  all  troops,  chiefs  and  officers,  and  their  equipage, 
ammunition,  armament,  clothing,  and  all  similar  effects  that 
may  belong  to,  or  may  be  destined  for  the  immediate  service 
of  the  Government  of  the  Republic  or  of  the  State  of  Panama, 
and  also  their  officials  in  service  or  in  commission,  and  those 
individuals  who,  with  their  family  and  baggage,  may  come  to 
the  country  in  the  character  of  immigrants,  and  of  new  settlers 
with  the  permanent  character  of  such  for  account  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, up  to  the  number  of  2,000  annually." 

PANAMA  SECEDED  FROM   COLOMBIA. 

Panama,  which  was  one  of  the  largest  states  constituting  the 
United  States  of  Colombia,  had  made  several  previous  but 
unsuccessful  attempts  to  secede  and  set  up  a  Republic  of  her 
own.  In  1903,  while  the  Colombian  Congress  was  in  session 
at  Bogota,  Panama  revolted  and  established  a  Republic,  and 
Doctor  Amidor  became  the  first  President. 

The  American  Nation,  by  an  act  of  Congress,  approved 
June  28,  1902,  was  making  an  effort  to  purchase  the  Canal 
Zone  from  the  Republic  of  Colombia,  but  the  Colombian  Con- 
gress did  not  consider  the  proposition  with  favor.  When 
Panama  declared  herself  a  sovereign  state,  she  was  recognized 
by  the  United  States  of  America.  The  American  proposition 
to  purchase  the  Canal  Zone  and  construct  an  inter-oceanic 
waterway  was  favorably  considered  by  the  New  Republic, 
which  accepted  an  offer  of  ten  million  dollars  for  the  tract  of 
land  known  as  the  Canal  Zone.  This  territory  is  ten  miles 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  19 

wide,  five  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Canal  Waterway,  and 
''beginning  in  the  Caribbean  Sea  three  marine  miles  from  mean 
low-water  mark  and  extending  to  and  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  a  distance  of  three  marine 
miles  from  mean  low-water  mark,  with  the  proviso  that  the 
cities  of  Panama  and  Colon  and  the  harbors  adjacent  to  said 
cities,  which  are  included  in  the  boundaries  of  the  Zone  above 
described,  shall  not  be  included  within  this  grant." 

TRANSFER  OF  THE  CANAL  ZONE. 

A  Treaty  was  made  between  the  United  States  of  America 
and  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  signed  at  Washington  on 
November  18,  1903.  It  was  ratified  by  the  Republic  of  Panama 
on  December  2,  1903,  and  by  the  United  States  Senate  on  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1904.  The  stipulated  price  of  $10,000,000  having 
been  paid  to  the  Republic  of  Panama,  Lieutenant  Mark  Brooke, 
Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  Army,  representing  the  United 
States  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  was  instructed  by  the 
United  States  Attorney  General  to  take  possession  of  the  Canal 
Zone.  On  the  morning  of  May  4,  1904,  a  formal  transfer  took 
place,  and  the  Canal  Zone  passed  into  the  possession  of  the 
United  States  according  to  the  terms  of  the  Treaty. 

CONGRESSIONAL    LAW   ESTABLISHING   THE   CANAL    ZONE 
GOVERNMENT. 

On  April  28,  1904,  the  United  States  Congress  approved  the 
following  act: 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled,  That 
the  President  is  hereby  authorized,  upon  the  acquisition  of  the 
property  of  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company  and  the  pay- 
ment to  the  Republic  of  Panama  of  the  ten  millions  of  dollars 
provided  by  Article  fourteen  of  the  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Republic  of  Panama,  the  ratifications  of  which 
were  exchanged  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  February,  nineteen 
hundred  and  four,  to  be  paid  to  the  latter  Government,  to  take 
possession  of  and  occupy  on  behalf  of  the  United  States  the 


2O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

zone  of  land  and  land  under  water  of  the  width  of  ten  miles, 
extending  to  the  distance  of  five  miles  on  each  side  of  the 
center  line  of  the  route  of  the  canal  to  be  constructed  thereon, 
which  said  zone  begins  in  the  Caribbean  Sea  three  marine 
miles  from  mean  low-water  mark,  and  extends  to  and  across 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  distance 
of  three  marine  miles  from  mean  low-water  mark,  and  also  of 
all  islands  within  said  zone,  and  in  addition  thereto  the  group 
of  islands  in  the  Bay  of  Panama  named  Perico,  Naos,  Culebra 
and  Flamenco,  and,  from  time  to  time,  of  any  lands  and  waters 
outside  of  said  zone  which  may  be  necessary  and  convenient 
for  the  construction,  maintenance,  operation,  sanitation,  and 
protection  of  said  enterprise,  the  use,  occupation,  and  control 
whereof  were  granted  to  the  United  States  by  Article  two  of 
said  treaty. 

"The  said  zone  is  hereinafter  referred  to  as  the  Canal  Zone. 
The  payment  of  the  ten  millions  of  dollars  provided  by  Article 
fourteen  of  said  treaty  shall  be  made  in  lieu  of  the  indefinite 
appropriation  made  in  the  third  section  of  the  act  of  June 
twenty-eight,  nineteen  hundred  and  two,  and  is  hereby  appro- 
priated for  said  purpose. 

"Sec.  2.  That  until  the  expiration  of  the  Fifty-eighth  Con- 
gress, until  provision  for  the  temporary  government  of  the 
Canal  Zone  be  sooner  made  by  Congress,  all  the  military,  civil, 
and  judicial  powers,  as  well  as  the  power  to  make  all  rules  and 
regulations  necessary  for  the  government  of  the  Canal  Zone, 
and  all  the  rights,  powers,  and  authority  granted  by  the  terms 
of  said  treaty  to  the  United  States,  shall  be  vested  in  such 
person  or  persons,  and  shall  be  exercised  in  such  manner  as 
the  President  shall  direct  for  the  government  of  said  zone  and 
maintaining  and  protecting  the  inhabitants  thereof  in  the  free 
enjoyment  of  their  liberty,  property,  and  religion." 

THE  ISTHMIAN  CANAL  COMMISSION. 

By  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  June  28,  1902,  the  President 
of  the  United  States  was  authorized  to  organize  a  Canal  Com- 
mission, which  was  duly  formed.  On  May  9,  1904,  the  Presi- 
dent issued  instructions,  through  the  Secretary  of  War,  who 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  21 

placed  the  Canal  Commissioners  in  charge  of  the  Canal  Zone 
with  power  to  legislate.  On  June  8,  1904,  Maj.  Gen.  George 
W.  Davis,  a  member  of  the  Commission,  was  appointed  gov- 
ernor of  the  Canal  Zone,  and  prior  to  his  arrival  on  the  Isthmus 
Major  Brooke,  who  took  formal  charge  of  the  Canal  Zone, 
continued  the  work  which  was  being  carried  on  by  the  New 
Panama  Canal  Company.  At  that  time  there  were  about  700 
men  engaged  by  said  Company  in  the  work  of  excavation  at 
the  deepest  part  of  the  great  Culebra  Cut.  The  United  States 
Government  subsequently  bought  the  rights  of  the  New  French 
Panama  Company  for  the  sum  of  $40,000,000.  In  this  pur- 
chase the  United  States  also  acquired  68,887  shares  out  of  the 
total  of  70,000  shares  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Company.  The 
United  States  purchased  the  shares  of  the  Company  for  the 
purpose  of  using  the  railroad  to  assist  in  the  construction  of 
the  canal.  The  first  Canal  Commission  consisted  of  the  follow- 
ing members : 

Rear  Admiral  John  G.  Walker,  U.  S.  Navy,  Chairman. 

Maj.  Gen.  George  W.  Davis,  U.  S.  Army. 

William  Barclay  Parsons,  C.  E. 

William  H.  Burr,  C.  E. 

Benjamin  M.  Harrod,  C.  E. 

C.  Ewald  Grunsky,  C.  E. 

Frank  J.  Hecker. 

Pending  the  arrival  of  the  Commission's  Chief  Engineer — 
Mr.  John  F.  Wallace — Governor  Davis  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  canal  construction  work,  and  conducted  it  with  but 
slight  modification  of  the  French  methods.  During  this  short 
period  Maj.  W.  M.  Black,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  Army, 
was  at  the  head  of  the  engineering  staff,  which  position  he 
held  until  the  arrival  of  the  Chief  Engineer. 

On  May  6,  1904,  Mr.  John  F.  Wallace  was  elected  chief 
engineer  of  the  Commission,  and  assumed  his  duties  on  June 
i,  1904.  Mr.  John  F.  Stevens  became  chief  engineer  after 
the  resignation  of  Mr.  Wallace,  and  Col.  George  W.  Goethals, 
the  present  Chief  Engineer,  became  the  chief  of  the  Commis- 
sion after  Mr.  Stevens  had  resigned. 


22                         SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 
CANAL   ZONE MUNICIPAL   ENACTMENTS. 

The  Zone  has  been  divided  into  five  municipalities,  namely, 
Ancon,  Emperador,  Gorgona,  Buenavista  and  Cristobal.  (See 
map.)  The  affairs  of  each  municipality  are  administered  by  a 
mayor,  secretary,  treasurer,  municipal  judge  and  council  of 
six,  all  of  whom  are  salaried.  That  these  municipalities  be 
self-supporting,  power  is  granted  them  to  impose  taxes  and 
issue  license  or  privilege  of  any  kind.  The  incumbents  are 
appointed  by  the  governor  of  the  Zone,  and  the  ordinances  are 
subject  to  his  approval. 

The  Commissioners  have  enacted  the  following: 

No.  I.  An  act  to  provide  for  the  organization  of  a  judiciary 
and  the  exercise  of  judicial  powers  in  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  and  for  other  purposes. 

2.  An  act  authorizing  the  appointment  of  notaries  public, 
defining  their  duties,  fixing  their  terms  of  office,  prescribing 
their  fees,  and  for  other  purposes. 

3.  An  act  reciting  an  Executive  order  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States  and  to  provide  for  the  suppression  of  lotteries 
and  similar  enterprises  in  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
and  for  other  purposes. 

4.  An  act  to  prohibit  gambling  in  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  and  to  provide  for  the  punishment  and  violations 
thereof,  and  for  other  purposes. 

5.  An  act  to  authorize  the  alcaldes  of  the  several  municipal- 
ities of  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama,  temporarily  to 
continue  to  exercise  the  judicial  powers  and  jurisdiction  here- 
tofore exercised  by  them. 

6.  An  act  authorizing  the  exercise  of  the  right  of  expropria- 
tion within  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama,  as  to  real 
estate   and  immovable  property,   and   as   to  property  that   is 
partly  personal  and  partly  real,  and  providing  the  method  of 
procedure  for  exercising  the  right. 

7.  An  act  to  provide  for  the  organization  of  municipal  gov- 
ernments in  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  23 

8.  An  act  to  provide  for  the  organization  of  the  executive 
branch  of   the  government  of  the   Canal   Zone,   Isthmus   of 
Panama. 

9.  An  act  to  provide  sanitary  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

10.  An  act  to  provide  maritime  quarantine  regulations  for 
the  ports  and  harbors  of  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

11.  An  act  designating  the  days  which  shall  be  observed  as 
public  holidays  in  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

12.  An  act  creating  a  penitentiary  for  the  Canal  Zone,  Isth- 
mus of  Panama. 

13.  An  act  to  provide  for  the  temporary  performance  of  the 
duties  of  the  marshal  of  the  Supreme  Court,  marshals  of  the 
circuit  courts,  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  clerks  of  the 
circuit  courts  of  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

14.  An  act  to  establish  a  Penal  Code,  Code  of  Criminal  Pro- 
cedure, and  method  of  determining  the  salaries  of  Army  and 
Navy  officers  of    the    Public    Health    and    Marine    Hospital 
Service  employed  by  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  and  sta- 
tioned on  the  Canal  Zone,  Isthmus  of  Panama.     The  Canal 
Zone  has  a  Legislative,  Judicial  and  Executive  Branch.    There 
is  a  Supreme  Court,  there  are  three  circuit  courts,  and  five 
municipal  courts. 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


Native  Canoes  and  Turtle  Carrol — Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


View  of  Cristobal,  Panama. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FIRST  DAY'S   EXPERIENCE   ON   THE   ISTHMUS   OF   PANAMA. 

Many  drivers  with  coaches  were  waiting  on  the  street  oppo- 
site the  dock.  It  is  their  custom  to  meet  all  passenger  trains 
and  steamers,  and  carry  people  wherever  they  wish  to  go  in 
or  around  the  city.  As  I  walked  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer 
I  noticed  that  each  cab  was  double  seated,  with  its  license  per- 
mit attached  to  its  back.  Each  cabman  wore,  on  a  flat  piece 
of  metal  about  an  inch  in  circumference,  attached  to  his  hat 
or  a  button  of  his  coat,  the  license  number  corresponding  to 
that  on  the  back  of  his  cab.  In  every  cab  a  bell  is  fixed,  which 
is  rung  by  hand  or  foot  of  the  driver  as  warning  for  pedes- 
trians to  get  out  the  way.  Some  of  the  cabs  with  rubber  tires 
were  stylish  and  attractive. 

"Come  this  way !  quick  and  good  service !"  eagerly  shouted 
the  cabmen,  who  are  not  allowed  to  go  on  the  dock.  Going 
near,  I  said  to  one  of  them,  "Can  you  take  me  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Cook's?" 

"Yes,  sir;  come  in.    Any  one  else  with  you?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  I  answered,  "but  how  far  does  the  reverend  live  from 
here?" 

"It  is  only  few  short  squares,  about  three  minutes'  drive," 
he  replied. 

Then  I  went  in,  and  off  he  drove  up  Roosevelt  avenue  by 
the  beach,  under  the  tall  cocoanut  trees.  I  noticed  that  he  used 
his  whip  freely  on  the  little  bay  pony  he  drove.  At  length  I 
said  to  him,  "You  are  severe  on  the  lash,  eh?" 

"You  better  be,  sir,"  he  said.  "You  don't  know,  but  these 
devilish  horses  here  in  this  country  are  just  like  mules,  and 
worse  than  bad  boys.  Most  of  them  won't  work  without  the 
whip.  And  don't  you  forget,  I  can  put  it  on,  too.  We  have 
to  make  quick  time,  because  cabmen  have  to  pay  ten  dollars 
each  day  to  the  cab  owner  for  the  hire  of  a  team.  Sometimes 
a  cabman  makes  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars  a  day,  on  good  days, 


26  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

but  some  days  he  can't  make  five  dollars,  yet  he  has  to  pay  ten. 
That's  why  we  have  to  use  the  whip  to  make  quick  time,  if 
there  is  a  chance  to  make  anything.  Wouldn't  you  use  the 
whip,  too,  sir,  if  you  had  it  to  do?" 

"Probably  so,"  I  answered.  I,  however,  pittied  the  little 
pony,  which  apparently  was  doing  his  best,  though  dripping 
with  perspiration  from  the  intense  heat,  which  was  about  one 
hundred  degrees,  though  in  February.  You  would  pity  the 
pony,  too,  because  he  was  so  lean  that  every  rib  could  be 
counted,  without  the  least  chance  of  making  a  mistake. 

He  drove  along  Front  street,  so  called  because  it  is  nearest 
to  the  railroad  tract,  and  fronts  the  beach.  "I  see  you  have 
fine  streets  here,  for  this  is  paved  with  vitrified  bricks !"  I  said. 

"Yes,  sir,"  he  said,  "bad  as  the  Americans  are,  they  cer- 
tainly put  this  town  in  grand  condition.  Before  they  came 
and  laid  out  these  streets,  you  would  have  to  tramp  knee-deep 
in  mud  and  swamp  to  get  along  here  after  a  shower  of  rain. 
And  I  have  seen  women  and  children  fasten  in  the  streets  of 
Colon  and  had  to  be  pulled  out  by  men.  Sometimes  the  little 
pieces  of  boards  slip  on  which  they  had  to  walk,  and  down 
they  sink  in  mud  to  the  knee.  Yes,  sir,  give  the  devil  his  due ; 
these  Americans  are  the  greatest  people  on  earth  to  build  up 
any  place  and  put  it  in  good  order.  They  don't  stand  back  for 
anything !  And  work !  sir,  I  never  saw  anything  to  beat  them 
working  in  my  life !  They  are  admired  here  very  much  for 
their  tact,  push  and  progressive  spirit." 

Nearly  all  the  traffic  is  conducted  on  Front  street,  and  the 
cabmen  usually  drive  the  stranger  that  way,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "We  wish  you  to  see  what  fine  driveway  we  have  in 
Colon." 

Turning  from  Front  street  on  6th,  we  crossed  Battle  alley, 
then  Boliver  street  to  Cash,  where  the  Wesleyan  Chapel  stands 
at  the  corner.  The  streets  are  all  narrow,  with  exeption  of 
Boliver,  which  is  about  fifty  feet  wide,  and  is  now  the  town 
boulevard.  The  streets  are  not  more  than  two  chains  apart, 
but  are  nicely  paved  and  kept  in  perfect  cleanliness.  Side- 
walks are  cemented.  The  work  of  paving  and  keeping  streets 
is  under  the  Sanitary  Department  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Corn- 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  2/ 

mission,  and  they  deserve  great  praise  for  the  excellent  way 
in  which  the  streets  are  kept. 

I  reached  the  parsonage  and  found  that  the  minister  was 
absent,  attending  conference  in  Jamaica,  which  is  about  500 
miles  away  by  water.  Mr.  Reid,  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
premises,  told  me  to  bring  my  luggage  and  leave  it  there  until 
I  decide  on  a  stopping  place. 

The  charge  for  a  cab  ride  within  the  limits  of  the  town  is 
20  cents  balboa,  or  native  money,  which  is  equivalent  to  ten 
cents  American  currency.  The  coachman  waited  and  drove 
me  back  to  the  dock,  and  after  I  had  seen  my  luggage  safely 
in  the  freight  office,  he  again  drove  me  to  the  parsonage,  mak- 
ing four  trips  in  all. 

"How  much  do  I  owe  you?"  I  asked  when  we  had  reached 
the  gate. 

"Two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,"  he  replied.  I  did  not  know 
then  that  the  Panamanian  money  valued  only  half  of  our  Amer- 
ican currency.  I  gave  the  coachman  a  five-dollar  note,  as  I 
had  no  smaller  change.  He  looked  at  it  and  said,  "Just  a 
minute ;  I  have  not  sufficient  change."  Instantly  he  disap- 
peared in  a  bar-room  across  the  street.  And  it  is  no  exagger- 
ation to  say  there  are  more  bar-rooms  in  Colon  than  in  any 
other  city  of  its  size  in  the  world.  The  coachman  soon  re- 
turned and  handed  me  five  very  heavy  silver  dollars.  Then  he 
said  as  he  rode  off,  "I  have  taken  out  my  change,  sir." 

"But,  my  good  fellow,  you  have  given  me  five  dollars  back. 
What  does  this  mean?"  I  asked.  "That's  all  right!"  he  said; 
"it's  Panamanian  money !"  As  he  rode  away,  I  sauntered  to  the 
parsonage  and  thought  over  the  peculiar  change. 

"Well,  Mr.  Reid,  I  am  puzzled,"  said  I,  when  he  came  on 
the  porch  of  the  parsonage  where  I  was  sitting. 

"I  gave  five  dollars  to  the  coachman,  who  charged  me  two 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  his  service,  and  he  gave  me  five 
dollars  change  of  this  heavy  money,"  said  I,  showing  him  the 
change. 

"Oh !  my !"  he  said,  "that  busman  knew  you  were  a  stranger 
and  pulled  you !  Do  you  know  the  number  of  his  coach?" 

"Oh,  yes ;  I  noted  that  down  as  he  drove  off." 


28  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"Well,  I  am  glad.  You  can  have  him  arrested.  How  long 
was  he  in  your  service  from  the  time  he  took  you  first  at  the 
dock  to  the  last  time  he  brought  you  back  ?"  he  asked. 

"One  hour  and  thirty-six  minutes,"  I  replied.  "For  straight 
job  like  that  the  fare  is  one  dollar  and  a  half  an  hour,  silver. 
And  two  dollars  and  a  half  silver  would  be  about  right ;  but  you 
gave  him  five  dollars  gold,  which  is  equal  to  ten  dollars  silver. 
He  should  have  taken  out  his  fare  and  returned  you  seven 
dollars  and  a  half  silver.  So,  you  see,  he  has  pulled  two  and  a 
half  dollars  out  of  you.  He  took  his  pay  in  gold,  when  he 
should  have  taken  it  in  silver.  He  has  pulled  two  and 
a  half  dollars  silver  out  of  you ;  but  you  can  get  it  back  if  you 
desire,  as  I  will  accompany  you  in  search  of  him." 

"Oh,  no,"  I  replied,  "that  is  all  right.  Experience  costs 
something,  and  all  of  us  have  to  pay  for  it  in  some  way. 
Probably  if  I  had  the  same  chance  to  take  my  pay  in  gold,  as 
he  had  in  this  case,  I  would  not  have  taken  it  in  silver.  How- 
ever, that  is  a  lesson  for  me,  and  when  I  travel  to  another 
strange  country,  I  shall  first  get  a  knowledge  of  the  currency 
of  that  country  before  attempting  to  spend  with  the  natives." 

That  afternoon  I  decided  to  visit  the  city  of  Panama,  and 
my  friend  accompanied  me  to  the  depot.  I  inquired  and 
found  that  the  distance  between  Colon  and  Panama  was  forty- 
eight  and  a  half  miles,  and  that  a  return  ticket  would  cost 
$4.80.  You  can  calculate  then  and  see  that  the  charge  was 
ten  cents  per  mile.  But  what  an  experience  I  had  at  the  depot ! 
I  thought  my  last  day  had  come !  At  the  ticket  office  in  front 
of  the  window,  where  tickets  are  sold,  there  was  a  small  iron 
enclosure,  which  opened  at  both  ends.  I  was  there  early  and 
stood  near  the  window,  thinking  that  each  ticket  purchaser 
would  come  in  at  the  one  end  of  the  railing,  and  after  buying 
the  ticket  at  the  window,  go  out  at  the  other.  The  ticket  agent 
was  a  native. 

As  the  time  drew  near  and  the  ticket  window  opened,  the 
dense  crowd  pushed  and  elbowed  from  both  points  of  the  rail- 
ing toward  the  window.  After  buying  your  ticket  it  was 
impossible  to  go  forward  or  backward  to  get  out.  Unfortu- 
nately, I  was  wedged  in  the  center  of  the  crowd.  When  I 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  29 

found  that  things  looked  threatening,  and  the  throng  was  con- 
stantly swelling,  I  made  a  stupendous  effort  to  escape  being 
squeezed  to  pulp.  It  was  something  fierce !  My  hat  went  one 
way  and  I  the  other.  At  length  I  managed  to  escape  by  push- 
ing sideway  and  bending  under  the  rail.  When  I  recovered 
my  hat  it  was  crushed  in  and  dirty.  Once  I  thought  somebody 
would  be  squeezed  to  death.  I  perspired  freely,  to  be  sure, 
and  was  one  of  the  last  persons  to  receive  my  ticket,  which 
was  finally  bought  by  my  friend.  On  one  occasion  a  woman 
was  badly  hurt  as  a  result  of  pushing  and  cramming  at  the 
ticket  window.  Since  then  the  rule  has  been  changed,  and  it 
is  now  compulsory  for  each  person  to  "fall  in  line"  from  one 
end  of  the  rail  only. 

The  train  started  on  schedule  time — 4.30  P.  M. — and  moved 
slowly  from  the  Colon  depot,  on  Panamanian  territory,  to 
Cristobal,  on  American  territory,  a  distance  of  about  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile.  When  it  stopped  at  Cristobal,  I  stepped  out 
on  the  platform  and  saw  the  commissary  building,  postoffice, 
jail,  courthouse  and  bakery.  Soon  the  bell  sounded  and  the 
train  started.  As  onward  it  went,  looking  out  the  opened  win- 
dow, I  noticed  that  the  sea  was  separated  only  by  a  narrow 
strip  of  land  on  which  the  railroad  ties  were  laid.  A  wide 
stretch  of  the  water  could  be  seen  all  around  on  both  sides. 
I  then  bent  forward  and  said  to  a  passenger  sitting  in  front  of 
me:  "The  sea  can  easily  shake  hands  here  and  kiss  whenever 
it  pleases." 

"Oh,  yes,"  he  replied,  "as  you  must  have  known,  this  small 
neck  of  made-up  land,  which  connects  Cristobal  to  Colon, 
makes  the  latter  place  no  longer  an  island,  but  a  peninsula. 
The  Panama  Railroad  Company  by  this  little  piece  of  land 
connected  Colon  to  the  mainland  years  ago ;  and  now  the 
people  of  the  United  States  intend  to  connect  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  with  the  Pacific."  , 

"Mount  Hope !"  called  out  the  conductor.  "This  place," 
said  the  passenger,  pointing,  "was  formerly  named  'Monkey 
Hill,'  and  has  been  the  burying  ground  during  the  time  of  the 
French.  There  are  more  corpse  buried  there  than  at  any  other 


3O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

cemetery  in  the  known  world.  It  is  one  mile  from  Colon,  and 
is  still  the  burying  ground  for  everybody." 

The  conductor  called  out  again,  "The  next  station  is  Midi !" 
"This  little  settlement,"  continued  the  passenger,  "is  midway 
between  Colon,  we  left  behind,  and  Gatun,  in  front  of  us." 
But  the  flying  iron  horse  was  soon  at  Gatun,  and  my  informant 
said:  "We  are  seven  miles  from  Colon  now.  There  are  the 
machines,  or  some  of  the  apparatus,  which  are  used  in  con- 
structing the  largest  dam  that  is  to  be  built.  Thousands  of 
barrels  of  cement  will  be  used  in  building  this  dam  with  its 
giant  locks.  And  the  men  are  working  hard  and  earnestly. 
Well,  I  stop  off  here ;  good-bye  and  good  luck  to  you." 

As  the  train  ran  onward,  we  passed  several  small  settle- 
ments with  queer  little  huts.  We  next  stopped  at  Bohio.  Had 
I  a  traveling  companion  as  when  I  passed  the  three  former 
stations,  he  could  have  outlined  to  me  a  short  history  of  each 
town  along  the  route.  The  towns  of  Gorgona,  Obispo,  Em- 
pire, Paraiso,  Pedro  Miguel  and  Corozal  were  in  turn  called 
out  and  passed,  and  finally  gladness  filled  my  heart  when  the 
conductor  shouted,  "Panama !  terminal  ending  on  the  Pacific ! 
Last  stopping  place !" 

The  passengers  rushed  from  the  train  and  soon  disappeared 
in  the  dense  crowd.  It  was  then  dark  night.  I  walked  out 
with  suit  case  in  hand,  but  the  lamp  posts  were  so  far  apart, 
and  the  light  shining  from  them  so  dingy,  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  make  out  the  names  of  the  streets,  or  discern  the 
numbers  on  the  houses. 

"Now  I  am  in  a  fix,"  said  I  to  myself.  SoOn  a  man  came 
by,  and  I  said  to  him,  "Can  you  show  me  King  Street,  please  ?" 
He  looked  at  me  and  replied,  "No  comprende  English, 
senor,"  and  passed  on.  He  meant  that  he  did  not  understand 
English.  I  made  few  other  inquiries  and  received  similar 
replies.  I  stood  few  minutes  trying  to  put  my  question  in 
Spanish,  as  no  one  could  understand  my  English,  but  as  my 
brain  probably  was  very  tired  from  the  long  journey,  I  could 
not  recall  the  Spanish  for  the  sentence — please  show  me  King 
Street — though  I  knew  the  language  years  ago. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  3! 

I  was  relieved  from  the  unpleasant  necessity  of  further 
mental  effort,  as  a  well-dressed  colored  man  came  by,  to  whom 
I  said,  "Senor,  comprende  English?" 

"Oh,  yes ;  I  am  British,"  he  replied. 

"Well,  sir,  I  am  indeed  glad.  Can  you  show  me  King  Street 
and  Hotel  Grande?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  am  going  by  that  way,"  he  answered. 

As  we  walked  on  I  said  to  him,  "It  does  not  appear  as  if  the 
people  here  understand  much  English,  because  I  asked  several 
persons  the  way,  but  they  did  not  understand  me." 

"Only  a  few  of  the  people  in  Panama  understand  English," 
he  said.  "Not  less  than  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  population 
here  speak  Spanish;  it  is  just  the  opposite  at  Colon,  where 
about  ninety  per  cent,  speak  English.  But  the  Panamanians  are 
learning  English  rapidly,  and  in  time  it  will  be  spoken  every- 
where. Well,  sir,  this  is  King  Street,  and  there  is  your  hotel ; 
good-night." 

"I  am  very  much  obliged  for  your  kindness,  sir;  good- 
night," I  replied. 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON   THE   PANAMA    CANAL 


•k 


.. 


The  uppermost  picture  is  the  Reservoir  back  of  Mt.  Hope.     Capacity 
508,000,000  gallons.     It  is  a  mile  and  a  half  long  and  a  mile  wide. 
The  lowest  photograph  to  the  left  is  Front  Street,  Colon. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    PANAMA   FLEAS'    INDIGNATION    MEETING. 

"A  war  to  preserve  racial  or  national  independence,  prop- 
erty and  liberty  from  certain  universal  havoc  is  a  war  just 
and  necessary." — Burke. 

''Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature." 

"My  friends,"  said  the  flea  chairman,  as  he  rose  to  speak 
at  a  crowded  indignation  meeting,  "since  those  North  Amer- 
icans came  down  here  our  race  has  suffered  much  indignity. 
Those  people  have  introduced  every  sort  of  antiseptics  to 
destroy  us !  They  have  robbed  us  of  our  former  ease.  Dur- 
ing the  time  of  the  French  we  were  never  molested.  We  had 
things  our  way  and  did  as  we  wished.  I  do  not  know  if  all 
of  you  have  heard  the  recent  rumor,  which,  to  my  mind,  is  a 
flagrant  disregard  for  the  rights  of  others..  But,  before 
making  further  comments,  I  shall  request  the  clerk  to  read 
to  us  the  cause  for  which  this  meeting  has  been  called." 

Then  the  flea  clerk  rose  and  said : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  the 
other  day  one  of  the  chief  commissioners  called  the  heads  of 
the  various  Departments  together  and  said:  'Gentlemen. 
President  Roosevelt  is  coming  to  visit  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama. Everybody  knows  what  a  keen  observer  he  is.  For 
this  reason,  I  most  urgently  request  you  to  have  every  nook 
and  corner  of  all  public  buildings  put  in  the  best  order.  You 
have  no  time  to  waste !  Put  your  best  foot  forward !' 

"But,  my  countrymen,  this  is  the  part  you  are  called  to 
consider.  The  chief  of  public  hotels  was  a  man  of  very  ner- 
vous temperament.  When  he  returned  and  called  his  office 
forces  together  he  said  to  them :  'Boys,  within  seven  days 
the  President  will  visit  us  !  Ah,  I  tell  you,  be  up  and  doing ! 
His  visit  is  of  the  greatest  national  importance !  Do  you 
ask  why?  Well,  one  reason  is  that,  of  the  twenty-seven 


34  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

presidents  of  the  United  States  of  America,  none  has  ever 
left  Washington  and  visited  a  foreign  country  during  his 
term  of  office.  This  is  the  first  time,  to  my  knowledge,  in 
the  history  of  the  American  Nation.  Now,  boys,  there  is  one 
thing  about  which  I  must  remind  you !  You  know  that  the 
Isthmus  is  infested  with  fleas.  And  you  know,  too,  that  the 
President  is  not  one  of  those  mortals  who  will  tolerate  an- 
noyance !  The  Sanitary  Department  is  busy  cleaning  up 
everywhere  in  Colon,  Panama,  and  all  along  the  line.  But  T 
tell  you,  boys,  the  most  responsible  part  of  the  work  falls 
upon  you.  The  question  that  confronts  us  is :  'How  can  we 
get  rid  of  these  obnoxious  fleas,  so  that  the  President  will 
not  be  bothered  when  he  comes?  It  is  quite  plain  that  you 
have  to  wage  a  relentless  war  against  them ! ' 

"One  of  the  subordinates  then  said :  'Give  us  an  order  to 
the  commissary  to  get  antiseptic  powders  and  fluids  of  all 
kinds,  and  we  will  fix  those  pestiferous  fleas !' 

'T  am  glad  you  think  you  can  subdue  them !  Those  hor- 
rid insects  must  be  destroyed,  especially  at  the  apartments 
where  our  distinguished  visitor  will  rest  and  sleep.  Go, 
then,  boys;  dust,  brush,  sweep  and  use  germicides  freely 
until  every  flea  is  exterminated  from  where  they  are  likely 
to  disturb  the  peace  of  our  coming  chief !"  The  clerk  sat. 

The  chairman  again  rose  and  said:  "My  comrades,  you 
have  heard  what  those  people  intend  to  do  with  us.  We 
are  to  be  exterminated  for  no  other  cause  but  the  glory  and 
comfort  of  those  detestable  Americans!  We  all  know  they 
have  used  thousands  of  gallons  of  crude  petroleum  and  al- 
most annihilated  our  mosquito  cousins,  and  driven  them 
from  the  towns  into  the  backwoods  of  the  interior.  Don't 
you  know  they  would  like  to  make  the  same  successful  as- 
sault upon  us?  Would  they  not  gloat  if  they  could  make 
similar  scapegoats  of  us?  But,  thank  Heaven,  we  will  never 
be  found  such  easy  prey !  No  !  never !  never !  They  have 
tried  to  run  us,  but  we  have  skilfully  evaded  their  traps  in 
the  past,  and  I  hope  we  will  do  the  same  thing  in  the  future. 
We  know  they  hate  us,  and  we  hate  them,  too ! 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  35 

"But,  my  friends,  just  think!  A  special  order  has  been 
issued  for  our  immediate  destruction!  Yes,  and  it  is  in- 
tended to  be  carried  out,  because  the  President  from  Wash- 
ington, we  learned,  carries  a  'big  stick'  wherever  he  goes, 
and  brings  it  down  with  a  vigorous  'whack'  on  the  head  of 
any  offending  subordinate.  For  this  special  reason,  the  em- 
ployes here  are  going  to  do  their  level  best  to  kill  every 
member  of  our  race,  in  the  hope  of  receiving  praise  from 
their  august  chief.  Mercy  on  us,  my  comrades  '  mercy  on  us  ! 

"I  believe  it !  Yes,  I  do !  Let  me  suggest,  as  our  only 
remedy,  that  we  get  out  of  the  way  with  all  possible  haste, 
and  allow  the  great  chief  to  parade  over  our  country  unmo- 
lested! I  think  this  is  our  best  plan,  not  because  we  are 
overawed,  or  will  be,  by  the  visitor's  presence,  but  we 
should  remember  that  'discretion  is  the  better  part  of 
valor.'  But,  inasmuch  as  one  loses  strength  when  he  once 
gives  way  to  weakness  or  temptation,  I  will  suggest  that  if 
we  allow  the  American  President  to  pass  through  our  coun- 
try without  making  him  feel  the  fierceness  of  our  stings, 
then  we  must,  in  the  future,  make  double  efforts  to  pepper 
everyone  who  comes  within  our  border  on  this  great  old 
Isthmus !  I  say  these  things  because  I  am  mighty  scared ! 
Indeed,  I  am !  Open  confession  is  good  for  the  soul,  and  so 
I  tell  you  the  truth  how  I  feel  in  the  matter!"  The  chair- 
man then  sat  amid  great  cheering. 

"Mr.  Chairman,"  cried  a  delegate,  who  rose  and  was  rec- 
ognized, "I  have  listened  to  your  great  speech !  You  have 
always  been  frank  to  express  your  mind  on  all  important 
matters.  I  am  glad  you  have  done  it  this  time  also.  Let  me 
say,  however,  that  I  cannot  agree  with  you  in  the  sugges- 
tion you  have  made.  This  fact  should  be  remembered,  that 
our  tribe  has  always  been  the  'Invincibles  of  the  Isthmus.' 
Now,  my  comrades,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  glorious 
records  of  our  forefathers  should  be  upheld  and  supported ! 
Our  fame  should  be  known  far  and  wide !  And,  irrespective 
of  birth,  fame,  position  or  reputation,  anyone  who  walks  on 
the  soil  of  the  Isthmus  should  be  made  to  feel  the  pangs  of 
our  stings.  Let  no  man  escape !  The  naturalist,  Charles 


36  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

Darwin,  did  not  write  anything  about  us  when  he  traveled 
through  our  country  years  ago.  Probably  we  were  not  im- 
portant enough  for  him  to  write  about.  Yes,  we  are  small, 
but  it  is  time  for  the  outside  world  to  know  something  about 
us.  I  say  bury  deep  your  profiles  in  the  body  of  every  in- 
truder on  our  shores !  It  is  time  for  all  mankind  to  know 
who  we  are !  Yes,  it  is  time  they  should  know  what  to  ex- 
pect from  our  tribe  when  they  come  to  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama !  Mercy  on  them,  for  my  part !" 

"Mr.  Chairman  and  fellow-delegates,"  said  another  mem- 
ber, "I  endorse  the  sentiment  of  the  speaker  who  has  just 
sat.  I  have  been  an  old  veteran  on  the  Isthmus  from  the 
time  of  the  French.  Those  Frenchmen  never  molested  us ! 
They  had  never  tried  to  annihilate  our  mosquito  friends. 
These  hateful  Americans  say  all  insects  must  go !  They 
have  never  made  a  greater  mistake  than  when  they  include 
us,  too,  in  their  list.  We  know  how  to  fight;  then  let  us 
fight !  Those  who  cannot  hide  in  the  crevices  of  the  floors, 
secrete  yourselves  in  old  walls,  dirty  corners,  dark  crevices, 
and  anywhere  to  evade  detection.  Some  of  you  are  bold 
^nd  daring,  others  are  shy  and  timid ;  some  are  large,  others 
small,  but  all  can  fight.  If  you  are  not  bold  enough  to  at- 
tack in  the  daytime,  when  the  brightness  of  the  sun  usually 
aids  in  your  capture,  then  lay  low  and  quiet  during  the 
light,  and  creep  out  in  the  darkness  of  the  night.  Then  pep- 
per your  foes !  Let  them  feel  so  that  they  might  know !  My 
friends,  arise  and  acquit  yourselves  as  none  but  members 
of  our  race  can  do !  Remember  the  boldness  and  daring  en- 
thusiasm by  which  your  ancestors  were  characterized !  Re- 
member that  we  have  never  been  subdued  or  conquered ! 
Lords  and  ladies,  great  and  small,  old  and  young,  rich  and 
poor,  white  and  black,  should  all  be  reminded  who  we  are ! 
Let  them  know  it  by  the  sting  of  your  lance !  My  advice  is 
that  the  President,  like  other  mortals,  should  be  made  to 
wimple  by  our  fierce  stings.  Why  should  he  be  exempted? 
Why  should  he  not  share  in  common  with  others  what  we 
have^to  give? 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  37 

"I  believe  there  are  delegates  present  who  will  volunteer 
and  risk  their  lives  to  uphold  the  traditions  of  our  race ! 
Who  will  undertake  to  defeat  even  the  great  American 
President,  and  compel  him  to  bow  and  seek  you?  Have  you 
lost  the  elasticity  of  your  muscles?  Can  you  not  jump  as 
before?  Who  will  lead  against  the  foe  in  this  essential  on- 
slaught?" 

Thousands  of  voices  responded :  ''I  will !  I  will !  Don't 
worry !" 

''The  knowledge  that  there  are  among  us  ready  and  wil- 
ling volunteers,  who  will  not  hesitate  to  perform  this  most 
delicate  task,  should  make  us  all  rejoice.  Yes,  get  into  the 
mattresses  and  hide !  Dodge  all  the  germicides  they  might 
use  and  add  luster  to  your  glorious  records!" 

Thus  encouraged,  these  determined  "Invincibles"  sent 
their  darting  lances  in  the  flesh  of  all  persons  who  have  gone 
to  the  Isthmus.  If  you  contemplate  making  a  trip  to  the 
Canal  Zone,  whoever  you  might  be,  remember  that  a  host 
of  these  "Invincibles"  await  you.  They  are  sovereigns  of 
the  Isthmus.  Have  they  ever  been  tamed  or  shall  they  ever 
be  subjected?  No! 

The  President,  on  whose  special  account  the  above  indig- 
nation meeting  was  held,  might  be  able  to  relate  his  ex- 
perience with  the  Panama  "Invincibles ;"  but  let  it  suffice  to 
say  that  he  did  not  escape  unharmed.  I  shall  tell  my  ex- 
perience with  them  in  the  next  chapter. 


Sunday  Bull  Fight — Panama. 


View  of  New  Coal  Hoist  at  Cristobal,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GRANDEUR    OF    THE    PACIFIC    AND    CONTACT    WITH    THE 
"iNVINCIBLES/' 

Being  very  tired,  I  retired  early  after  finding"  the  hotel.  But 
was  not  I  glad  the  following  morning  when  dawn  came?  I 
peeped  through  the  huge  door  of  my  sleeping  apartment, 
which,  at  my  request,  was  left  opened  during  the  night  to 
"catch  the  fresh  air."  The  rays  of  the  rising  sun  could  be 
seen  on  the  surrounding  hilltops.  But  with  the  appearance  of 
Old  Sol  comes  the  great  heat  also,  even  at  early  morning. 

Soon  I  was  out  on  the  wide  porch  adjacent  to  my  room,  and, 
being  on  the  second  story,  I  could  see  far  away.  And  what  do 
you  think?  There  came  to  view  the  blue  waters  of  the 
Pacific!  How  impressive  to  me  was  the  sight  of  the  "king  of 
oceans"  can  never  be  described.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
this  is  the  largest  of  the  oceans,  and  covers  more  than  a  third 
part  of  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  extent  of  its  surface  is 
more  than  the  combined  area  of  the  five  continents.  What! 
To  be  sure  it  is ! 

The  Pacific  stretches  through  more  than  130  degrees  of 
latitude,  which  means  about  nine  thousand  miles  one  way. 
But  what  about  its  other  measurement?  Why  it  stretches  to 
about  170  degrees  or  twelve  thousand  miles.  A  body  of  water 
so  vast  and  extensive,  must  of  necessity  have  a  great  influence 
upon  the  earth's  surface,  and  should  be  of  the  highest  im- 
portance to  man. 

While  thus  admiring  the  natural  beauty  and  grandeur  of 
nature's  magnificence  in  the  tropics,  some  one,  in  a  strong 
voice,  said  behind  me,  "Good  morning !"  I  looked  around  and 
answered,  "Good  morning,  sir,  and  how  are  you?" 

"Fine  as  silk.    And  how  did  you  rest  last  night?"  he  asked. 

"I  rested  well  the  earlier  part  of  the  night,  but  something 
got  into  my  bed  later,  and  made  it  so  warm  for  me,  that  I 
thought  once  I  was  in  ants'  nest.  You  can  see,  sir,  some  of 


4O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

the  mounds  and  ridges  on  my  hands  or  body  as  a  result  of  the 
assault,"  I  replied. 

"Aha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  the  gentleman;  then  he  said,  'It's 
too  bad,  but  my  friend,  it's  nothing  but  fleas  !  They  are  not  very 
plentiful  now,  but  they  generally  attack  all  newcomers.  These 
fleas  on  the  Isthmus  are  quite  different  from  the  others  else- 
where. They  know  strangers,  and  for  the  first  few  nights  in 
this  country  they  will  attack  you  in  spite  of  fate ;  it  does  not 
matter  where  you  go  to  sleep.  But  it  won't  always  be  so. 
After  a  while  they  will  let  you  alone.  But  when  I  came  here 
first !  Why,  I  had  to  set  up  nights  after  nights  trying  to  keep 
out  of  the  reach  of  those  awful  pests.  They  ate  me  until  I 
felt  like  running  into  the  Pacific  Ocean !  It  is  all  right  in  the 
day,  but  when  night  comes  it  is  fierce  in  some  places.  But  you 
soon  become  use  to  it." 

"No,  sir,  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  will  never  get  use  to  what 
I  felt  last  night !  Why,  their  stings  smart  like  a  young 
wasp's !"  I  replied. 

"I  have  known  people  who  had  to  leave  their  beds,  and  seek 
refuge  in  hammocks  on  the  porch  to  avoid  these  pests,  but 
after  a  while  they  were  not  molested,"  said  he. 

"At  that  rate  your  fleas  are  like  college  boys,  who  'ordeal' 
'haze'  or  'initiate'  all  newcomers,  then  let  them  alone  to  ex- 
perience university  life,"  I  said.  "That  is  it  exactly,"  he 
answered. 

"I  see  your  Panama  streets  are  very  clean." 

"Yes,  sir,"  he  replied,  "this  is  a  new  Panama,  and  there  is 
no  comparison  between  it  and  the  old.  It  does  not  look  to  be 
the  same  place. 

"Formerly  we  had  mud  and  awful  footpath  to  contend  with, 
but  now  our  streets,  avenues  and  sidewalks  are  vitrified  and 
cemented.  The  city  of  Panama,  and  capital  of  the  Pana- 
manian Republic,  can  be  considered  a  splendid  summer  resort 
for  any  civilized  people.  Of  course,  we  will  never  get  rid 
entirely  of  fleas." 

"Have  you  any  similar  pests  here?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  a  host  of  them.  The  others  do  not  come  so  near  to 
us  as  our  house  foe.  We  know  that  the  mosquitoes  were  a 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  4! 

terrible  foe.  Through  the  clever  work  of  the  Americans,  we 
are  almost  rid  of  that  pest  entirely.  I  remember  in  the  time 
of  the  French,  it  was  a  common  thing  to  meet  a  person,  whose 
face  was  so  disfigured,  one  would  suppose  that  such  was  suf- 
fering from  a  bad  case  of  small-pox.  We  have  also  the  white 
sofi-  ants,  which  feed  on  woods,  usually  eating  out  the  center. 
If  these  insects  get  into  your  house,  you  must  be  quick  to  get 
them  out,  or  the  roof  would  soon  come  down  with  a  crash. 
And  there  is  another  specie  known  as  'the  army  ants.'  Ah ! 
they  are  a  caution !  They  move  from  place  to  place  in  large 
numbers.  If  they  encircle  a  building  and  go  through  it,  they 
devour  mice,  rats,  scorpions,  roaches,  spiders,  snakes,  if  any 
be  near,  then  disappear  with  the  same  suddenness  as  they 
came.  It  is  on  record  that  the  army  ants  even  destroy  unpro- 
tected infants  left  asleep  in  the  home." 

"I  see !  you  have  dangerous  insects  here !  Are  there  anv 
more?"  I  asked. 

''Why !  to  be  sure !  plenty  of  them.  Scorpions,  milipeds, 
roaches  and  spiders  grow  here  to  enormous  sizes.  You  would 
mistake  some  of  our  scorpions  for  young  lobsters.  Now  when 
it  comes  to  snakes !  Mercy  on  you !  No  part  in  the  world 
can  surpass  Central  and  South  America  for  large  snakes. 
Have  you  not  read  of  the  various  kinds  of  serpents  we  have 
here  ?  Well,  in  that  matter  other  places  have  to  take  the  back 
seats." 

"Well,  don't  you  think  our  American  people  are  ingenious 
enough  to  destroy  any  other  pests  as  they  have  done  the  mos- 
quitoes?" I  asked. 

"No,  sir,  we  all  know  the  Americans  are  very  inventive,  but 
they  will  never  be  able  to  rid  Central  America  of  pests.  There 
is  a  sort  of  fly  here  that  scientists  have  failed  to  discover  in 
spite  of  their  efforts  to  do  so.  Whenever  that  fly  stings  any- 
one, it  leaves  a  larve  or  some  sort  of  deposit,  which  in  time 
develops  a  worm  in  your  flesh.  It  soon  produces  a  peculiar 
painful  sensation,  the  larger  it  grows.  Finally  the  sufferer  is 
forced  to  seek  a  physician,  who  slits  the  skin  and  removes  a 
hideous-looking  little  worm  covered  with  tiny  hair.  There  is 


42  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

also  the  'minnie  fly,'  which  stings  like  the  mosquitoes,  but  is  so 
small  that  the  naked  eye  can  scarcely  see  it." 

After  breakfast,  I  decided  to  visit  the  Administration 
Building"  at  Ancon.  It  is  something  spacious  within  and  with- 
out. There  I  met  Dr.  C.  C.  Carter,  chief  of  hospitals,  and 
Colonel  Gorgas,  chief  of  sanitation.  On  my  return  into  the 
city,  I  was  attracted  by  some  native  fruit  venders,  from  whom 
I  bought  three  small  tangerines,  for  which  1  paid  20  cents. 
Then  I  peeled  one  of  them,  as  I  thought  it  would  allay  my 
thirst,  and  then  threw  the  rind  into  the  street. 

"No,  sir,"  said  a  fellow  near  by,  "if  the  police  saw  you  do 
that,  he  would  arrest  you.  No  one  is  allowed  to  throw  any- 
thing on  the  street,  never  mind  what  it  is."  He  then  stepped 
forward  and  took  up  the  peeling,  which  he  placed  in  a  refuse 
can.  "These  refuse  cans,  sir,  are  placed  all  along  the  streets 
for  the  reception  of  refuse  materials.  And  they  are  so  very 
strict  down  here  that  they  will  arrest  a  person  for  any  trivial 
offense,  and  the  Alcalde  will  impose  a  fine,  whether  you  are  a 
stranger  or  not." 

"Thank  you  for  the  information,"  I  said.  "I  did  not  know 
of  the  existence  of  such  a  law,  but  I  am  aware  that  ignorance 
is  no  excuse  in  law." 

"There  they  come !  If  they  were  in  sight,  they  would  cer- 
tainly have  you  before  their  Alcalde  or  judge,  who,  finding 
you  a  stranger,  would  propably  release  you  on  payment  of 
cost.  But  if  you  could  not  speak  Spanish,  and  an  interpreter 
should  speak  for  you,  then  it  would  cost  you  more  than  the 
cost  of  arrest,  for  you  would  have  to  pay  whatever  the  inter- 
preter charged." 

I  looked  and  saw.  two  Panamanian  policemen  coming  up  the 
street.  They  were  small  fellows  dressed  in  helmets  and 
clothes  trimmed  with  brass  buttons  and  a  dark  seam  on  their 
pants.  These  policemen  can  always  be  distinguished  from  the 
Zone,  or  American  policemen,  who  are  usually  dressed  in 
khaki  suits,  trimmed  with  brass  buttons,  soft  brown  hats  and 
yellow  leggins. 

I  beckoned  to  a  passing  cabman,  and  told  him  I  would  like 
to  see  a  little  of  the  city  and  suburbs.  We  drove  up  King 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  43 

Street  to  the  park,  which  was  clean  and  properly  kept.  Many 
people  were  seen  sitting  about  the  park,  some  conversing, 
others  selling  Duque's  lottery  tickets.  Cabmen  and  cabs  were 
numerous. 

"That's  something  new  for  you  to  see,  sir,"  said  the  cab- 
man, as  he  drove  toward  the  ocean  from  the  park. 

"What  is  it?""  I  asked. 

"The  waters  of  the  Pacific  have  receded  back  about  a  mile. 
It  is  now  low  tide,  at  which  time  persons  can  walk  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  on  the  sand  into  the  sea.  Few  hours  hence 
it  will  be  high  tide,  and,  where  no  water  is  now,  there  will  be 
sixteen  feet  of  water,  enough  to  float  the  largest  ship." 

It  was  very  hot,  so  I  asked  the  driver  to  return  me  to  my 
stopping  place.  I  decided  then  to  return  to  Colon  on  the  At- 
lantic side,  and,  as  I  was  desirous  of  seeing  all  the  stations 
along  the  line,  I  bade  adieu  and  left  the  City  of  Panama  on 
the  afternoon  train. 


44 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


Light  House— Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

HOUSES   IN    COLON    AND   ALONG   THE   CANAL    ZONE. 

"There  is  much  common  sense  in  your  form  of  building 
houses  here  in  the  tropics,"  said  I  to  a  contractor  to  whom  I 
was  introduced.  "And  I  am  sure  they  have  certain  advantages 
over  ours  in  the  United  States  of  America.  How  high  are 
your  ceilings,  and  the  usual  dimensions  of  your  rooms?" 

"In  a  three-story  house,  the  ceiling  of  the  first  floor  is  about 
fifteen  feet  high.  You  see,  we  generally  use  1 6- foot  lumber, 
and  to  avoid  sawing  off  any  portion  of  it,  we  just  nail  up. 
The  second-story  ceiling  would  be  about  12  feet  high,  and 
the  third  about  10  feet.  But,  as  a  rule,  the  houses  here  are 
only  one  and  two-story  in  height,  with  about  the  same  average 
height  in  ceiling.  Sleeping  rooms  are  usually  about  eight  feet 
square." 

"In  the  States  we  could  not  well  make  ours  as  high,  because 
the  houses  must  be  heated  in  winter,  and  with  your  rate  of 
space,  each  room  would  require  about  half  ton  of  hard  No.  3 
coal  each  week  for  fuel ;  but  that  is  not  the  point  I  had  in 
mind,  as  to  superior  advantages.  Your  houses  here  are  so 
constructed  that  there  is  a  five  or  six-foot  veranda.  In  some 
buildings  it  extends  all  around ;  in  others,  it  goes  only  half- 
way around,  yet  each  story  has  its  own  porch,  so  that  your 
people  practically  live  in  the  open  air  all  the  time." 

"When  the  children  return  from  school,  they  either  romp  on 
the  pavement  below  or  on  the  porch  above  until  bedtime.  And 
then  they  can  sleep  upon  the  verandas  if  their  parents  or 
guardians  allow  them.  If  they  step  from  the  porch  to  an 
adjoining  room  to  sleep,  the  ceiling  is  high,  and,  being  un- 
covered by  mortar  or  paper,  the  exhaled  breath  escapes  freely 
and  easily.  And  as  soon  as  the  carbonic  acid  gas  from  the 
lungs  escapes  through  your  roof,  there  are  numerous  trees  and 
plants  not  far  away  ready  to  absorb  it.  So  whether  you  are 


46  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

asleep  or  awake  you  are  all  the  time  breathing  fresh  air," 
said  I. 

"That  is  so.  And  since  the  Americans  took  charge  of  af- 
fairs, plumbing  must  be  installed  in  every  house.  In  nearly 
every  dwelling  you  will  find  toilets,  hallways  with  an  electric 
light  burning  all  night,  bathrooms,  though  large  enough  for 
only  one  person  to  stand.  We  do  not  use  any  bathtub,  but  the 
shower  bath  sjncket  streams  the  water  from  above  upon  you 
in  such  nice  way  that  one  feels  it  is  the  best  way  to  take  a  re- 
freshing bath.  You  see,  in  using  the  shower  bath,  there  is  no 
danger  for  one  person  to  contaminate  another  with  skin  dis- 
ease, or  any  other  affection  that  is  contageous. 

"Certainly,  it  costs  the  landlord  a  small  fortune  to  install 
plumbing  in  his  house.  It  ranges  from  $250.00  to  $750.00  gold 
for  each  house.  That  is  what  I  am  told.  Certainly,  there  is  a 
company  from  the  States  that  does  the  work,  and  since  it 
becomes  law  for  all  houses  to  have  sewers,  and  that  part  of 
the  work  is  connected  with  the  sanitary  rules,  the  company 
monopolizes  the  entire  trade  and  compels  everybody  to  accept 
their  terms.  They  charge  landlords  just  what  they  choose.  Of 
course,  if  the  landlord  cannot  afford  to  pay  for  his  plumbing 
when  it  is  put  in,  then  the  company  allows  him  time,  and  col- 
lects the  bill  each  month  as  the  landlord  collects  his  rent/'  said 
the  contractor. 

"Why  do  you  say  the  sewer  company  monopolizes  the  entire 
trade  and  compels  every  landlord  to  accept  its  terms  ?"  I  asked. 

"It  is  like  this,"  said  the  contractor,  "there  are  many  men 
here  who  can  put  in  the  pipes  and  install  the  whole  machinery 
for  very  much  less  than  the  sewer  company  charges  for  the 
same  work.  But  here  is  the  point:  Whenever  plumbing  is 
done  in  the  house,  an  inspector  from  the  Sanitary  Depart- 
ment, or  in  some  way  connected  with  said  department,  must 
examine  the  work  and  'pass  it.'  Whatever  the  inspector  says 
'goes.'  It  is  in  his  power  also  to  condemn  the  work,  and  if  the 
work  is  condemned,  the  landlord  has  to  do  it  over  and  over 
again  until  it  'passes/  Well,  of  course,  whenever  landlords 
employ  anyone  else  than  the  sewer  company's  people,  the 
inspector  will  soon  get  to  know  it.  And  whenever  the  work  is 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  47 

completed,  and  he  is  called  to  examine  it,  he  simply  condemns 
it.  This  is  the  way  the  elephant  treads  upon  the  ant 
in  that  matter.  In  the  States  you  would  consider  an  act  of  that 
kind  illegal,  as  it  stifles  competition  and  monopolizes  trade, 
but  with  us,  why,  it  is  all  right ;  and  your  President's  declara- 
tion of  fair  play  to  all  people  is  never  considered  here." 

"Well,"  I  answered,  "I  am  sorry  to  learn  that  fact  about 
the  sewer  company  but,  to  return  to  our  subject,  let  me  say 
that,  in  the  States  the  fierceness  of  the  cold  compels  the  people 
to  be  indoors  during  winter ;  and  our  ceilings  are  so  constructed 
that  vitalized  air  from  the  lungs  cannot  escape  from  our  rooms 
as  easily  as  it  does  here.  Of  course,  we  open  our  doors  and 
windows,  but  in  spite  of  our  hygenic  knowledge,  we  often  re- 
breathed  the  air  once  expelled  from  the  lungs." 

"I  see,"  said  the  contractor,  "but  America  has  so  many  in- 
genious inventors  that  some  one  could  introduce  a  system  by 
which  port  holes  for  the  escape  of  vitiated  air  could  be  ar- 
ranged. This  could  be  done  by  having  a  piece  of  metal  about 
a  foot  in  circumference,  with  holes  punched  into  it  like  a  grate 
on  one  side,  while  it  arches  over  into  a  pipe  on  the  other  side. 
This  piece  of  metal  could  be  arranged  in  the  highest  part  in  the 
ceiling  of  such  room,  and  would  pass  up  into  the  wall  or  by  the 
side  of  it  to  conduct  away  the  impure  air,  just  as  the  stovepipe 
carries  away  the  smoke,  or  the  pipes  of  latrobes  and  furnaces 
conduct  heat  to  the  various  rooms  in  your  American  houses. 
Yes,  I  have  been  twice  to  New  York  and  once  to  London,  Eng- 
land, so  I  know  all  about  furnaces  and  heat  in  the  house." 

"Well,"  I  answered,  "that's  a  scientific  idea,  indeed.  And  it 
seems  practical  and  logical.  I  am  sure  if  you  were  to  come  to 
the  United  States  and  introduce  that  new  system  in  house- 
building, it  would  not  be  long  before  you  would  be  a  million- 
aire, provided  you  first  patent  your  idea  so  that  no  one  could 
make  use  of  it  without  authority  from  you.  Yes,  and  am 
satisfied  that  a  simple  device  of  that  kind,  installed  in  our 
homes,  would  reduce  our  national  mortality  about  twenty- 
five  per  cent.  If  we  were  to  trace  effects  to  their  causes,  we 
would  find  that  many  of  the  people  die  as  the  result  of  in- 
sufficient oxygen  in  their  lungs.  The  lack  of  fresh  air  im- 


48  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

poverishes  the  blood,  and  when  the  germ  of  tuberculosis,  pleu- 
risy, pneumonia,  la  grippe,  or  any  other  dread  disease  enters 
the  system,  and  finds  the  blood  poor,  and  consequently  weak- 
ened and  debilitated  organs,  then  development  of  the  disease 
takes  place  rapidly,  and  the  victim  succumbs. 

"If  that  person  had  plenty  of  oxygen,  and  pure  blood  cap- 
able of  resisting  the  attack  of  the  germ,  there  would  not  have 
been  a  successful  development  of  the  disease,  and,  conse- 
quently, no  fatal  result.  As  a  result  of  your  well-ventilated 
houses,  there  are  very  few  cases  of  the  diseases  I  have  named 
above  to  be  found  in  Colon.  Your  chief  scourge  here  is  ma- 
laria, which  the  Sanitary  Department  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission  has  almost  brought  under  control." 

"Well,"  said  the  contractor,  "I  am  glad  you  have  found 
something  favorable  to  us.  "Yes,  you  speak  about  breathing 
abundant  oxygen ;  if  the  air  could  be  gotten  control 
of  by  some  of  these  American  concerns  down  here,  you  would 
not  have  the  chance  of  speaking  about  our  good  luck  and 
superior  hygenic  homes.  Why,  my  dear  sir,  we  would  be  like 
fish  out  of  water.  Don't  you  know,  every  inch  of  ground  here 
in  Colon  is  the  property  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Company? 
That  every  person  who  owns  a  house  in  Colon  and  many  parts 
along  the  line  must  pay  monthly  rent  for  the  lot  to  that  com- 
pany? And  the  rental  is  something  fierce.  There  are  lots 
on  Front  street  for  which  the  renter  pays  $600.00  gold  a  year ; 
many  lots  cost  $300.00  gold  per  year,  but  the  rental  is  payable 
monthly.  That  is  the  chief  reason  why  rents  are  so  high. 

"Many  people  think  the  landlord  is  getting  rich  fast,  but 
the  idea  is  a  mistaken  one.  Rooms  eight  by  ten  feet  cost 
$25.00  balboa,  or  $12.50  gold  per  month.  Take  this  two-story 
house,  for  instance,  in  which  you  live.  It  contains  20  rooms. 
Take  a  dollar  off  each  room  and  let  us  figure  at  the  lowest  cost. 
This  house  then  brings  its  owner  little  more  than  $240.00  gold 
each  month.  Out  of  that  rent  the  landlord  must  pay  the  ground 
rent  to  the  P.  R.  R.,  he  must  pay  water  rent  to  the  water  com- 
pany, and,  don't  forget,  they  charge  so  much  for  each  gallon 
used,  as  each  house  has  its  meter.  And  they  don't  hesitate 
to  sink  the  sword  to  its  very  hilt  in  charging  water  rates.  I 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  49 

would  venture  to  say  this  house  cost  nothing  less  than  twenty 
dollars  gold  per  month  for  the  water  used  here.  Then  he  must 
pay  the  Electric  Light  Company  for  whatever  electricity 
burned  in  the  hallway.  They,  too,  are  very  high.  Now  for  the 
Sewer  Company.  Everybody  knows  who  they  are  in  the 
charging  business.  Then  your  city  tax  and  insurance.  You 
can't  insure  a  house  in  Colon  today  under  eight  per  cent.  That 
is,  if  your  house  values  $2,000.00  gold,  you  would  have  to 
pay  $160.00  gold  insurance  per  year.  And  insurance  com- 
panies are  not  anxious  to  issue  policies  for  houses  in  Colon, 
for  they  all  call  the  place  'the  fire  zone.'  The  severe  climate 
on  wroodwork  and  paint  renders  it  necessary  to  paint  a  house 
once  every  year,  if  you  wish  it  to  have  a  neat  and  decent  ap- 
pearance." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "never  had  I  the  slightest  idea  that  land- 
lords had  so  much  expense  attached  to  property  in  Colon.  I 
have  noticed  some  difference  between  the  construction  of 
American  made  houses  in  Cristobal  and  the  native  houses  of 
Colon." 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "the  ceiling  in  the  American  houses  is 
lower  than  in  the  native  houses.  But  the  American  built 
houses  are  so  very  much  neater  in  appearance  and  workman- 
ship." 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


The  Wireless  Station  at  Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  AND  WORDS  OF  M.  DE  LESSEPS  AT 
THE  FIRST  STROKE  OF  THE  PICK. 

"How  did  the  Panama  Canal  originate?"  I  asked  an  ex- 
perienced engineer  on  the  Isthmus. 

"Well,"  he  replied,  "history  informs  us  that  in  1878  Lieu- 
tenant Lucien  Wyse  and  his  companions  secured  the  right  and 
privilege  from  the  Colombians  to  construct  and  operate  a 
canal.  In  1879  an  international  congress,  consisted  mostly  of 
engineers,  gathered  to  discuss  plans.  There  were  135  dele- 
gates present,  eleven  of  whom  came  from  the  United  States 
of  America. 

"M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  the  celebrated  French  engineer, 
who  was  at  the  zenith  of  his  fame,  was  also  present.  His 
recent  achievements  at  the  Suez  Canal  at  that  time  made  him 
the  popular  and  leading  spirit  at  the  convention. 

"This  distinguished  body  of  men  decided  that  a  sea  level  ca- 
nal could  be  built  between  Colon  or  Aspinwall,  on  the  Atlantic, 
and  Panama,  on  the  Pacific  Oceans,  in  eight  years,  at  the  cost 
of  $217,000,000.  Soon  afterwards  a  French  company — The 
Campagnie  Universelle  de  Canal  Inter-Oceanique  de  Panama — 
was  formed,  under  M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps  as  president. 

"This  company,  it  is  said,  paid  Lieut.  L.  Wyse  and  his  asso- 
ciates $2,000,000  for  their  rights,  and  took  charge  of  the  canal 
in  1880.  In  January  of  the  same  year,  at  the  Pacific  entrance 
of  the  projected  ship  canal,  M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  who  was 
the  chief  orator  on  the  occasion,  spoke  as  follows : 

"  'By  the  authority  of  the  Republic  of  the  United  States  of 
Colombia,  with  the  blessing  of  Monsignor,  the  Bishop  of 
Panama,  in  the  presence  of  representatives  of  all  governments 
and  of  those  of  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  members  of  the  technical  commission  charged  with 
the  investigation  of  the  Universal  Interoceanic  Canal,  M.  F. 
de  Lesseps,  on  this  first  day  of  January,  1880,  made  the  first 


52  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

stroke  with  a  pick,  at  the  point  determined  upon  for  the  be- 
ginning of  the  maritime  canal  on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific.  All 
assistance  in  order,  please  turn  some  earth  with  the  pick,  as  a 
sign  of  alliance  of  all  peoples  in  the  work  of  uniting  the  two 
oceans,  for  the  good  of  mankind.'  " 

Turning  over  some  old  canal  records  from  the  time  of  the 
French,  my  informant  said,  "There  it  is.  The  Bulletin  de 
Canal  Interoceanique  of  February  i,  1880,  says: — 

"  'At  the  grand  banquet  which  closed  the  fetes  given  by  the 
Colombian  Government  in  honor  of  M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps, 
and,  after  the  toast  by  the  representative  of  the  United  States 
of  Colombia,  M.  de  Lesseps  responded  as  follows : 

"  'The  orator  who  has  preceeded  me  told  you  of  the  scien- 
tific reasons  that  have  influenced  us  in  deciding  that  the  line  of 
the  interoceanic  canal  shall  run  from  Colon-Aspinwall  to  Pan- 
ama. The  investigations  of  the  technical  committee  between 
the  Bay  of  Limon  and  the  Bay  of  Panama  confirm  this  de- 
cision and  at  the  same  time  constitute  the  base  of  an  appeal 
to  all  the  nations  to  contribute  to  the  capital  for  doing  this 
great  work,  whose  benefits  will  be  enjoyed  by  all  peoples. 

'  'But  what  will  be  the  powerful  motive  that  will  give  the 
final  impulse  towards  forming  the  Universal  Company  for  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  a  Panama  Canal?  It  will  be 
public  opinion,  the  dominating  power  of  our  epoch,  represented 
by  the  press  of  all  countries.  I  propose  a  toast,  therefore,  to 
the  reporters  of  the  press  of  North  America,  Central  America 
and  South  America,  and  to  their  honorable  brothers  of  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa.' ': 

To  that  toast,  a  representative  of  the  American  press  from 
the  New  York  Herald  responded  thus : 

"I  am  honored  in  being  allowed  to  say  some  words  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  American  press,  to  which  M.  de  Lesseps  has 
been  so  courteous.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  assembled  here  so 
many  of  the  intelligent  citizens  of  Colombia,  to  be  in 
the  company  of  these  men  of  science,  of  capitalists  and 
of  others  who  are  distinguished  by  their  talents  and 
their  deeds.  But,  above  all,  it  is  a  satisfaction  to 
stand  in  the  presence  of  that  man  who  has  made  his 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  53 

name  immortal  by  his  incomparable  work  of  joining  two 
great  seas  by  means  of  the  Suez  Canal — a  satisfaction  that  is 
increased  by  the  idea  that  we  are  assembled  here  on  a  mission  of 
as  great  importance.  The  canal  that  already  proclaims  the 
genius  of  M.  de  Lesseps  is  a  work  which  will  procure  the  im- 
mense benefits  of  commerce  to  humanity  throughout  the  gen- 
erations which  have  not  yet  seen  the  light  of  day.  And  here 
I  wish  to  say  that  the  magnificent  steamer  which  has  brought 
to  this  shore  M.  de  Lesseps,  his  interesting  family,  and  the 
corpse  of  able  engineers  which  accompanied  him,  bore  a  name 
of  good  augury,  the  name  of  La  Fayette,  the  faithful  friend 
of  George  Washington,  lover  of  liberty,  and  staunch  apostle 
of  American  Independence. 

"Faithful  to  his  promise  that  the  beginning  of  1880  would 
witness  the  inauguration  of  work  on  the  Panama  Canal,  we 
have  seen  M.  de  Lesseps  begin  the  year  with  the  event  that 
will  always  have  a  bright  place  in  the  pages  of  history.  I  refer 
to  the  commencement  of  a  survey  for  a  route  of  a  canal  across 
the  Isthmus,  which  was  begun  on  the  first  day  of  January  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

"This  seems  to  me  the  most  formidable  enterprise,  but  as  I 
am  only  a  journalist,  whose  duty  it  is  to  write  the  facts  as 
they  are  presented,  and  not  an  engineer,  it  would  not  be  proper 
for  me  to  speak  words  of  criticism  touching  the  nature  and 
immensity  of  the  obstacles  to  be  surmounted.  But  I  may  say 
that  this  is  a  work  of  immense  importancce  to  humanity,  not 
alone  in  our  age,  but  also  for  the  good  of  others  who  will 
follow  us. 

"Do  not  undertake  this  herculean  task  for  our  epoch  alone, 
but  also  for  posterity.  That  the  canal  is  to  be  an  international 
waterway  constitutes  in  itself  a  sure  guarantee  to  the  world 
that  it  will  not  be  employed  by  any  one  power  to  the  detriment 
of  any  other;  and  the  fact  that  all  nationalities  are  united  in 
this  banquet  table  proves  the  desire  of  the  great  man  who  is 
here  with  us  this  evening  to  build  a  canal  for  the  world. 
Therefore,  these  old  friends,  the  United  States  of  America 
and  fair  France,  join  hands  with  the  Republic  of  Colombia  in 
undertaking  the  task  so  worthy  of  their  greatest  efforts. 


54  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"Let  the  good  work  go  on !  M.  de  Lesseps  is,  indeed,  the 
man  who  can  carry  it  on  with  energy.  In  doing  this  he  will 
add  another  laurel  to  the  crown  which  he  has  already  won, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  he  will  show  to  the  world  the  grand 
spectacle  of  the  joining'  of  two  great  oceans. 

"In  this  manner  will  be  joined  commercially  the  turbulent 
Atlantic  and  the  calm  waters  of  the  great  Pacific.  Finally, 
it  is  right  to  recall  that  the  progress  and  welfare  of  our  age 
demand  a  canal,  whether  it  be  here,  or  follow  some  other 
route." 

VAST    SUM    SPENT. 

For  ten  years  the  work  went  on.  In  1892  it  was  found  that 
the  French  company  had  expended  the  enormous  amount  of 
$260,000,000,  though  only  a  small  portion  of  the  work  was 
completed  in  comparison  with  what  was  left  to  be  done.  In 
1894  the  company  reorganized  with  a  capital  of  about  $13,- 
000,000,  and  also  had  its  concession  extended  to  1910.  In 
1899  about  $8,000,000  of  the  capital  stock  of  the  reorganized 
company  was  expended  and  not  much  work  done. 

ELOQUENT   MUTE  EVIDENCES. 

Mute  but  eloquent  evidences  of  the  work  and  failure  of  the 
French  can  be  seen  all  along  the  line  from  Colon  to  Panama. 
As  the  observant  eye  gazes  here  and  there  upon  rust-covered 
cars  and  engines,  stretching  at  times  to  the  distance  of  half 
a  mile  in  length,  a  peculiar  tinge  of  sadness  fills  the  mind. 
Look  there  at  those  decayed  machinery  embedded  in  the  earth 
with  tropical  vines  and  trees  growing  upon  and  around  them  ! 
What  unwritten  truth  do  they  tell?  Even  by  the  swift  current 
of  the  Chagres  River,  rust-covered  dredges  are  to  be  seen 
in  its  banks.  Are  not  these  mute  memories  of  the  past,  the 
shattered  hopes  of  the  French?  What  was  the  cause  of  the 
failure  of  the  New  French  Canal  Company?  The  answer  is, 
"bad  management!" 

SOURCE  OF  FRENCH    COMPANY'S   MEANS. 

It  is  estimated  that  about  $400,000,000  was  raised  to  con- 
struct the  French  Panama  Canal ;  that  the  money  came  from 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  55 

the  pockets  of  the  humble  French  peasant  as  well  as  from  the 
wealthy.  Gold  flowed  like  a  stream  into  the  coffers  of  the 
French  Company  from  all  classes. 

BAD  MANAGEMENT  AND  RECKLESS  EXPENDITURE. 

The  author  has  talked  with  men  on  the  Isthmus  who  said 
they  had  friends  and  acquaintances,  during  the  time  of  the 
French,  whose  names  were  on  half  a  dozen  payrolls  at  the 
same  time.  It  was  a  secret  understanding  between  certain 
men  and  the  time-keepers.  Those  men  with  their  names  on 
various  payrolls  would  slip  from  gang  to  gang  each  day,  or 
as  often  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  and  the  foreman  would 
mark  them  "present."  On  pay  days  they  would  again  slip 
from  gang  to  gang  and  draw  their  pay,  then  divide  the  spoil 
with  the  time-keepers  and  foremen. 

Never  was  money  more  recklessly  spent !  When  the  French 
Company  asked  for  six  million  dollars,  they  received  almost 
twice  as  much.  But  the  vast  sums  at  their  disposal  led  to  graft 
and  extravagance.  It  is  said  that  Ferdinand  M.  de  Lesseps 
erected  a  mansion  at  the  cost  of  $100,000  at  one  place,  and  at 
La  Boca  he  built  a  summer  home  at  a  cost  of  $150,000.  He 
received  $50,000  per  year  salary,  and  $50  per  day  extra  for 
traveling  expenses.  At  that  time  he  traveled  in  his  own 
private  car  which  was  built  at  the  cost  of  $34,000. 

Stables  at  his  disposal  cost  upward  of  $500,000;  hospital 
facilities  under  M.  de  Lesseps'  management  cost  between  six 
and  seven  millions.  There  was  nothing  done  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  disease,  but  ample  accommodation  was  made  to  take 
care  of  those  who  were  sick.  As  an  evidence  of  the  reckless 
way  money  was  spent,  it  is  said,  15,000  torchlights  were  bought 
and  stored  away  which  were  intended  to  be  used  for  illumina- 
tion at  the  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal.  Necessary  and 
unneeded  implements  of  all  description  were  purchased  for 
the  work.  So  numerous  and  variegated  are  the  machineries 
left  on  the  Isthmus  by  the  French  that  no  American  engineer 
has  been  able  to  tell  for  what  use  some  of  them  were  intended. 


56  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

SALE  AND  TRANSFER  OF  THE  FRENCH   CANAL  COMPANY. 

The  Government  of  the  United  States  purchased  the  rights 
and  properties  of  the  French  Canal  Company  for  $40,000,000. 
This  sale  was  finally  authorized  by  the  stockholders  of  that 
company  on  April  23,  1904,  and  the  following  instrument  of 
conveyance  was  ratified  at  the  said  meeting  on  that  date : — 

"Now,  therefore,  we,  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company, 
represented  by  Messrs.  Marius  Bo  and  Albert  Rischmann,  in 
consideration  of  the  payment  of  the  sum  of  forty  million 
dollars  in  gold  coin  of  the  United  States  of  America  to  said 
company  on  its  order  or  demand,  contemporaneously  with  the 
delivery  of  this  present  conveyance  to  the  two  representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America  first  above  mentioned,  and 
the  delivery  to  them  of  its  property  in  Paris,  and  the  certifi- 
cates of  said  Panama  Railroad  shares  (the  property  of  the 
company  not  being  understood  to  include  the  treasury  assets 
of  the  company,  including  deposits  of  money,  outstanding 
credits  and  investments  in  bonds),  and  the  delivery  upon  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  to  an  agent  of  the  United  States  of  Amer- 
ica, designated  by  them,  or  by  the  Attorney-General  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  of  the  remainder  of  its  rights  and 
properties,  do  hereby  acknowledge  and  confirm  the  said  sale, 
and  do  grant,  sell  and  assign,  transfer  and  set  over  to  the 
United  States  of  America  absolutely,  in  full  ownership,  the 
totality,  without  exception,  of  the  company's  property  and 
rights  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  its  maps  and  archives  at 
Paris." 

When  the  United  States  bought  the  right  and  property  from 
the  French,  it  is  said  there  were  115  store-houses  filled  with 
all  kinds  of  earth-digging  machines,  15  large  warehouses, 

57  barges,  38  yawls,  21  steam  launches,  273  dron  cranes,  800 
pumps,   149  rock  drills  and    dredges    and    numerous    carts, 
steam  engines  and  other  unnamed  implements. 

HOW    THE    DIGGING    IS    CONDUCTED    NOW. 

The  work  of  digging  the  canal  under  the  Americans  is  con- 
ducted on  a  scientific  plan.  The  entire  force  of  workers  is 
divided  into  three  parts,  namely,  the  Atlantic  Division,  the 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  57 

Central  Division  and  the  Pacific  Division.  The  work  is  being 
done  in  sections.  The  Culebra  Cut  and  the  Gatun  Dam  are 
the  two  points  where  the  greatest  engineering  skill  has  been 
confined. 


58  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


Cock-fight  to  the  Finish — Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


Grand  Central  Hotel  and  Park— Panama. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SAD  AND  DEPLORABLE  CONDITION  OF  LABORERS  ON  THE  ISTHMUS. 

"Are  you  laborers  well  paid  for  your  work?"  I  asked  an 
intelligent  Barbadian  with  whom  I  talked  at  Gatun. 

"No  sir,"  he  said  emphatically,  "most  of  us  were  told  at 
home  that  we  would  get  on  the  Isthmus  'plenty  work  and  good 
pay,'  but  we  have  been  sadly  disappointed.  An  Isthmian  Canal 
agent  told  us  at  home  that  able-bodied  men  as  I  am  could  get 
from  two  to  five  dollars  per  day  working  at  the  canal.  But 
I  have  not  received  a  dollar  per  day  yet  since  I  came  to  this 
Isthmus,  nearly  eighteen  months  ago. 

"But  while  the  wages  is  small  a  fellow  might  try  to  get 
along,  if  these  bosses  would  treat  a  man  as  if  he  were  a  living 
being.  But  instead  you  are  'cursed'  at  and  treated  like  beasts 
all  the  time.  We  poor  West  Indians  have  got  it  to  the  very 
limit  of  endurance.  In  that  haughty  and  domineering  way, 
you  are  ordered,  sometimes  knocked  down,  kicked,  and  if  your 
manhood  resents  the  inhuman  treatment  given  to  you,  then 
you  are  up  against  it  like  a  ship  tossed  by  an  angry  sea. 

"I  have  known  friends  of  mine  who  were  beaten  on  the  train 
and  pushed  off  after  paying  his  fare.  But  what  can  one  do  in 
such  instances  ?  You  have  practically  no  redress.  Is  it  that 
way  the  white  people  treat  colored  people  in  America? 
Heavens !  I  don't  know  how  they  could  have  endured  it. 
Certainly,  I  am  trying  to  bear  it  for  the  time  being,  but  God 
knows  that  as  soon  as  I  can  save  enough  to  pay  my  way  home, 
this  place  will  never  see  my  face,  no  sir,  never !  never !" 

"No !  in  America  the  colored  people  are  treated  first-class. 
Have  you  not  read  that  in  America  we  have  more  wealthy 
and  great  negroes  than  in  any  other  country  in  the  world? 
Why,  to  be  sure.  But  they  have  the  Constitution  to  back  them 
up.  Certainly,  I  have  heard  that  the  colored  people  in  the 
far  Southern  States  have  a  hard  time  sometimes,  but  that 
spirit  of  hate  and  bitterness  is  yearly  dying  out.  I  guess  you 


6O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

colored  people  from  the  West  Indies  do  not  understand  the 
Americans,  but  they  are  fine  people — the  most  liberal  in  the 
world,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  I  won't  contradict  you,  sir,  but  from  what  I  have 
seen  of  those  with  whom  we  have  to  contend  here  on  the 
Isthmus,  I — I — I,  well — well.  Probably  they  pick  these  out 
and  send  them  down  here  purposely.  There  are  a  few  fine 
men  among  them,  but  that  class  can  be  counted  upon  the 
fingers  of  one  hand.  And  with  all  the  bad  treatment,  they 
don't  expect  you  to  say  a  word;  if  you  do,  then  you  run  a 
big  risk  of  being  reported  and  then  arrested  for  something. 
And  then,  heaven  smile  on  you,  for  when  a  complaint  is  lodged 
against  a  colored  man  here,  nothing  saves  him  from  jail,  and 
jail  sentence  here!  ah!  ah!  when  a  poor  negro  serves  three 
months  here  in  jail,  I  believe  he  should  be  immuned  from  any 
future  punishment,  either  now  or  after  death,  however  black 
his  sins  might  be. 

"Well,  I  know  each  month  millions  are  spent  for  canal 
work,  and  a  big  payroll  is  audited,  but  the  money  does  not 
come  our  way,  because  we  get  only  20  cents  balboa  an  hour  for 
labor  or  ten  cents  American  money.  And  we  work  only  eight 
hours  per  day,  which  makes  the  earnings  of  a  laborer  only  80 
cents  per  day.  Out  of  that  amount  the  Commission  takes  30 
cents  per  day  for  mess,  as  they  compel  us  to  eat  at  the  mess 
kitchen,  and  whether  you  eat  or  do  not,  the  30  cents  are  de- 
ducted just  the  same. 

"If  the  laborer  is  a  married  man,  then  he  gets  his  full  pay 
and  nothing  is  deducted  from  his  wages.  You  can  see  that 
at  ten  cents  an  hour  of  eight  hours  daily  that's  80  cents,  and 
six  working  days  will  give  a  laborer  $4.80  per  week.  At  30 
cents  per  day  for  seven  eating  days  that's  $2.10  for  mess  per 
week.  Hence,  after  deducting  our  mess  bill  we  have  coming 
to  us  only  $2.70  per  week,  and  at  the  end  of  a  month  of  four 
weeks  we  get  $10.80.  But  that  is  when  we  work  all 
along.  And  many  times  we  are  laid  off  for  several  days,  no 
work  at  all,  so  that  you  can't  always  depend  on  the  $10.80  per 
month.  Out  of  this  amount  we  have  to  pay  for  clothes  wash- 
ing, buy  shoes,  clothing,  and  meet  our  other  incidentals.  So 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  6l 

you  see,  it  is  so  arranged  that  we  cannot  make  much.  It  is  a 
fact  that  sometimes  we  make  extras,  but  that  does  not  amount 
to  very  much,  and  it  is  not  often  that  extras  come  our  way." 

"But  has  not  the  Commission  just  cause  for  compelling 
laborers  to  eat  at  the  mess  kitchen?"  I  asked. 

"Perhaps  it  is  just  from  their  point  of  view.  They  claim 
that  the  laborers  will  not  feed  themselves  well  enough  to  do 
the  canal  work  unless  fed  with  American  proteids ;  but  every 
reasonable  mind  knows  that  each  question  has  two  sides.  The 
Commissioners  have  printed  their  side  of  it  in  the  Canal 
Record  and  other  papers.  But  has  anybody  heard  the  poor 
laborers'  side  of  it?  Has  anything  been  allowed  to  go  in  print 
from  the  second  party  in  this  unjust  transaction?  No!  no! 
Not  a  single  word ! 

"Every  one  knows  or  ought  to  know  that  West  Indians  have 
not  been  accustomed  to  feed  on  American  food ;  their  food  is 
not  our  food;  their  manner  of  making  bread  is  not  our  man- 
ner ;  taste  is  not  our  taste ;  yet,  they  have  undertaken  to  regu- 
late our  palate  and  forcibly  compel  us  to  accept  whatever  they 
feel  like  giving  us  to  eat.  It  is  true  that  they  give  us  a  West 
Indian  to  cook  the  food  for  us,  but  what  is  that?  I  tell  you, 
sir,  it  is  a  pretty  serious  thing  when  a  man  is  placed  in  the 
position  where  somebody  else  has  the  say-so  for  what  you 
shall  eat  without  any  alternative.  But  we  have  no  voice  pro 
or  con  in  the  matter  of  what  we  eat.  The  Commissioners  sim- 
ply decide  and  order  that  circulars  be  issued  that  all  might 
read  their  mandate.  Hence  from  time  to  time  there  were  cir- 
culars i,  2,  3,  etc. 

"But  wait  a  minute !"  said  the  Barbadian,  as  he  took  a  Canal 
Record  and  said,  "here  is  one  of  those  orders.  Read  it!"  It 
was  circular  No.  45,  in  the  Canal  Record  of  July  29,  1908. 
It  reads  as  follows : 

OFFICE  OF  THE  DISBURSING  OFFICER, 

EMPIRE,  C.  Z.,  July  21,  1908. 
CIRCULAR  No.  45  : — 

To  All  Concerned:  Effective  at  once. — Mess  kits  will  be 
issued  by  the  stewards  at  the  various  kitchens  only  upon  pre- 


62   ,  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

sentation  of  a  meal  ticket  with  the  words  "mess  kit"  written  or 
printed  across  the  face  of  it,  which  will  be  good  for  a  mess 
kit  only.  The  value  of  such  ticket  to  be  deducted  from  the 
laborer's  pay  in  the  same  manner  as  meal  tickets." 

Thirty-four  kitchens  for  West  Indian  laborers.  There  were 
8,578  unmarried  West  Indian  laborers  employed  by  the  Com- 
mission May  i,  1908. 

"Sir,"  he  continued,  "when  the  order  was  first  issued  that 
all  unmarried  laborers  will  be  compelled  to  eat  at  the  mess 
kitchen,  I  was  at  Cristobal  and  saw  men  fall  in  line  with 
their  dinner  pails,  and  pass  up  in  order  to  the  cook,  with  the 
police  standing  there  to  see  that  discipline  was  maintained. 
As  the  crowd  marched  up  the  cook  ladeled  out  the  food  and 
each  passed  on.  Presently  the  cook  says  all  the  food  prepared 
is  served  and  he  hadn't  anything  more.  There  were  men  in 
the  line  who  did  not  receive  a  morsel  of  anything  to  eat. 
Well,  those  poor  fellows  had  either  to  remain  hungry  or  try 
to  get  a  mouthful  from  the  more  fortunate  ones  who  had 
something  to  eat. 

"When  the  food  is  served,  as  there  is  no  table  provided  for 
West  Indians  as  is  done  for  European  laborers,  then  they  scat- 
ter about  and  sit  on  the  grass  or  on  a  log  or  lean  against  a 
fence,  or  crouch  under  a  shed.  But  whether  you  get  the  food 
or  the  cook  'runs  short,'  when  pay  day  comes  around,  your  30 
cents  a  day  is  deducted  like  anyone  else.  Well,  as  is  natural  to 
expect,  many  of  the  laborers  refused  to  accept  such  treat- 
ment. That  class  has  no  alternative  but  to  'quit.'  Because  if 
you  do  not  eat  at  the  mess  kitchen,  you  are  not  allowed  to 
sleep  in  the  camp.  Yes,  if  you  refuse  to  eat  what  they  give 
you,  then  you  must  take  bag  and  baggage.  'No  eat,  no  sleep.' 
Then,  remember,  every  house  belongs  to  the  I.  C.  Commission. 
Small  private  houses  cost  a  fortune.  Small  rooms  in  which  a 
person  can  scarcely  stretch  himself  cost  from  20  to  30  dollars 
per  month.  Ah !  my  dear  sir,  you  don't  know. 

"Well,  you  talk  about  Americans  being  such  fine  people, 
what  do  you  have  to  say  about  this  fact?  There  now  you 
can  see  a  colored  police  in  helmet  and  leggins,  but  he  didn't 
dare  to  arrest  a  white  man  whom  he  sees  breaking  the  law  of 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  63 

the  Zone.  If  a  white  man  commits  an  offense  and  a  white 
police  is  near,  the  offender  is  arrested,  but  if  a  colored  police 
alone  is  present,  the  white  man  walks  away,  as  no  negro  police 
is  allowed  to  arrest  white  people." 

"Do  you  mean  that?"  I  asked. 

"You  can  -ask  any  one  on  the  Zone,  sir,  and  you  will  find 
what  I  said  on  that  point  to  be  true.  I  have  never  heard  nor 
seen  anything  like  what  I  have  seen  here  anywhere.  Certainly, 
European  laborers  are  very  much  better  provided  for  than 
West  Indians.  They  get  from  30  to  40  cents  per  hour  for 
their  labor,  doing  the  same  work  as  we  do.  They  also  have 
tables  on  which  to  place  their  food  and  benches  or  chairs  on 
which  to  sit  while  eating. 

"Then  again,  if  a  West  Indian  laborer  gets  hurt  during  the 
performance  of  his  duty,  and  his  injury  is  sufficiently  serious, 
he  is  sent  to  the  hospital,  where  he  remains  until  he  is  better. 
During  his  stay  in  the  hospital  he  is  not  paid  a  single  cent. 
When  he  is  well  again  he  is  made  to  sign  a  release  or  exemp- 
tion paper.  It  does  not  matter  how  many  children  the  injured 
laborer  has,  whether  his  wife  is  able  to  take  care  of  the  chil- 
dren or  not.  This  paper  of  release  is  to  exonerate  the  Com- 
mission or  Panama  Railroad  Company  from  all  blame  for  the 
injury  the  West  Indian  received  during  the  performance  of 
his  duty.  If  the  unfortunate  victim  loses  his  hand  or  foot  in 
the  accident,  when  he  signs  the  release,  he  is  paid  one  dollar 
gold,  and  that's  all  he  gets.  But  by  signing  the  release,  he 
becomes  eligible  to  get  his  job  again,  or  some  other  job  under 
the  I.  C.  C.  or  P.  R.  R.  If,  however,  he  refuses  to  sign  the 
paper  of  release  when  presented  to  him,  then  he  gets  neither 
the  dollar  nor  his  job.  There  would  be  no  work  for  him 
again. 

"I  know  several  persons  who  got  injured  at  their  wrorking 
places  or  on  the  train,  and  passed  through  the  ordeal  of  sign- 
ing release  papers  before  they  could  get  their  job  again.  But 
what  could  the  poor  fellows  do?  Some  people  might  say,  'I 
would  not  sign  it,  but  ah !  when  starvation  stares  you  in  the 
face,  and  sometimes  you  have  old  mothers  and  fathers  depend- 
ing upon  what  you  send  them  occasionally,  I  tell  you,  sir,  one 


64  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

is  apt  to  do  anything  in  order  to  get  along.  A  mouse  can't 
fight  a  lion.  These  laborers  and  that  class  of  colored  people 
that  work  here  are  poor.  They  have  no  money,  and  that's  the 
cause  which  prompted  most  of  them  to  remain.  Then  the 
Americans  know  that  West  Indians  have  no  union  or  organiza- 
tion of  any  kind  among  themselves,  hence  they  make  good 
use  of  this  knowledge,  and  take  advantage  of  the  situation. 
But  there  is  an  old  adage  which  says,  'What  you  save  in  the 
barrel  is  apt  to  leak  through  the  cock/  and  God  isn't  asleep. 
They  are  treating  us  as  if  we  were  not  human  beings,  but  they 
might  have  to  pay  double  and  triple  for  all  these  unjust  acts 
before  this  very  Panama  Canal  gets  through." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "am  indeed  sorry  that  things  are  not  what 
they  should  be,  but  I  can  assure  you,  my  good  fellow,  every- 
thing will  work  out  all  right  by  and  by.  You  see,  Canal  dig- 
ging is  a  new  attempt  for  the  Americans,  and  those  who  are 
entrusted  with  the  work  down  here  are  trying  to  conduct  it  on 
the  most  economic  basis  possible.  Then,  again,  they  are  sub- 
jected to  a  great  deal  of  criticism  and  blame  at  home  for  too  ex- 
travagant an  expenditure  of  the  money.  It  is  quite  'natural  that 
they  would  try  to  save  all  the  money  they  can.  But  can  you 
give  me  the  name  of  anyone  who  was  injured  and  sent  to  the 
hospital  and  had  to  sign  a  release  before  he  could  get  his  job 
again  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed,"  he  answered,  "plenty  of  them.  And  I  know 
several  instances  where  people  were  killed  by  the  train,  and 
the  Panama  Railroad  gave  the  coffins  in  which  they  were 
buried;  in  other  instances  they  would  give  not  a  single  thing, 
neither  coffin  nor  any  money,  and  friends  of  the  unfortunate 
victim  have  to  go  around  and  take  up  collection  to  bury  the 
dead  if  he  was  not  a  member  of  some  secret  society."  He  then 
told  me  the  names  and  addresses  of  three  victims  of  accidents 
who  lost  limbs  and  had  to  sign  a  release  before  they  could  be 
re-employed. 

"I  saw  some  time  ago  that  a  Liability  Act  was  passed  in  Con- 
gress to  compensate  employes  who  were  injured  in  the  per- 
formance of  their  duties.  I  think  special  reference  is  made  in 
it  for  employes  of  the  Panama  Canal,"  I  said. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  65 

"Well,  sir,  that  might  be  so,  but  it  might  be  intended  for 
Americans  only." 

He  then  gave  me  the  names  of  three  men  and  I  went  away. 
Some  time  afterward,  as  I  desired  to  find  the  truth,  I  called  at 
the  number  given  me,  but  did  not  find  my  man.  At  another 
time,  being  in  that  neighborhood,  I  visited  the  house  where 
another  of  the  men  lived.  He  was  in.  "Is  this  Enos  M—  —  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  am,"  he  answered. 

"How  old  are  you?" 

"Twenty-five  years." 

"Were  you  employed  by  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission, 
and  were  you  ever  hurt?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  sir,"  he  said,  "I  was  employed  in  the  machine  shop, 
and  an  accident  happened  to  me.  This  hand  (holding  out  his 
right  hand)  was  caught  in  the  machine.  There  was  great 
excitement,  but  the  machine  was  stopped  and  I  was  instantly 
sent  to  the  hospital.  There  I  remained  for  many  weeks  and 
the  doctors  amputated  three  of  my  fingers.  There  they  are ! 
When  I  was  better  and  ready  to  leave  a  white  man  brought  me 
a  paper  and  said,  'Enos,  sign  just  on  this  line  here.  When  you 
do  that  there  is  some  money  for  you.'  I  told  him  that  I  did  not 
wish  to  sign  any  paper.  That  as  it  was  not  my  fault  I  was  in- 
jured, I  intend  to  have  them  to  do  something  for  me,  as  I  was 
maimed  and  limbless  for  the  rest  of  my  life." 

'  'Well/  the  white  American  said  to  me,  'if  you  do  not  sign 
this,  you  cannot  get  the  job  any  more,  and  not  only  that  job, 
but  no  other  on  the  Isthmus.  I  would  advise  you  to  sign  it, 
because  you  have  been  out  of  work  for  quite  a  while  and  you 
need  to  go  out  now  and  start  right  into  working  again.' 

"Well,  as  I  knew  I  had  no  money,  I  signed  the  paper  and  he 
pulled  out  two  dollars  balboa  and  gave  me,  which  is  one  dollar 
gold.  I  have  even  tried  to  get  from  them  a  sort  of  glove  for 
my  hand,  so  that  it  would  look  natural,  like  the  other  hand,  but 
all  my  effort  has  been  a  failure.  However,  I  am  getting  along 
very  well,  and  as  I  got  my  job  back,  I  don't  mind  it  too  much, 
for  I  could  have  been  killed  that  day  like  many  others  who  lost 
their  lives  trying  to  earn  their  bread.  So  I  don't  fret  and  pine 
over  it,  as  I  think  that's  my  luck." 


66  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"Did  you  receive  your  wages  while  you  were  sick  in  the  hos- 
pital?" 

"No,  sir !  no !  I  did  not  get  a  red  cent,"  he  said,  laughing, 
"but  am  glad  all  the  same  that  I  am  living." 

"Yes,  you  are  pretty  lucky,"  I  said. 

"No,  sir,"  he  said;  "I  only  wish  I  was.  We  poor  laborers 
down  here  dare  not  have  a  meeting  to  discuss  our  sad  condi- 
tion— at  least  we  cannot  hold  it  anywhere  on  the  Zone.  We 
would  be  regarded  as  inciting  discontent,  and  the  participants 
would  be  'fired'  or  discharged  at  once  if  not  arrested." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "in  the  States,  union  is  the  only  thing  that 
prevents  the  wolf  of  capital  devouring  the  lamb  of  labor.  You 
colored  people  down  here  have  no  unions,  hence  you  are  com- 
pelled to  take  just  what  your  employer  feels  like  paying  you. 
In  Judge  Taft's  speech  of  acceptance  as  candidate  of  the  Re- 
publican party  he  said:  'The  advantage  of  union  is  to  give  to 
employes  their  proper  position  in  a  controversy,  to  enable  them 
to  maintain  themselves  against  employers  having  great  capital ; 
they  may  well  unite,  because  in  union  there  is  strength,  and 
without  it  each  individual  laborer  and  employe  would  be  help- 
less. There  is  a  large  body  of  laborers,  however,  skilled  and 
unskilled,  who  are  not  organized  into  unions.  Their  rights 
before  the  law  are  exactly  the  same  as  those  of  the  union  men, 
and  are  to  be  protected  with  the  same  care  and  watchfulness.'  " 

"Poor  colored  laborers  can't  form  any  union  here.  Most  of 
the  laborers  are  here  on  contract,  and  they  have  to  do  what 
they  are  told  and  accept  just  what  they  can  get.  But  it  is  not 
the  colored  laborer  alone  who  feels  the  sting  of  American 
prejudice  on  the  Zone.  At  a  public  celebration — I  think  it  was 
the  Fourth  of  July — Mr.  H — ,  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  Panama 
Railroad,  and  his  wife,  who  is  white  or  looks  like  a  white 
woman,  started  to  see  the  fireworks.  At  any  such  public  holi- 
days a  rope  is  stretched  on  the  American  side,  between  Cris- 
tobal and  Colon,  and  the  Zone  policemen  stationed  at  the  rope 
to  prevent  any  colored  person  from  passing  in.  When  this 
couple  arrived  at  the  rope,  one  of  the  policemen  said,  'She  can 
pass  in,  but  you  can't  pass.'  'But  she  is  my  wife !'  said  the  dis- 
turbed husband.  'Wife  or  no  wife!'  replied  the  police,  'we 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  6/ 

don't  allow  colored  people  in  there !'  Mrs.  -  -  then  refused 
to  go  in  and  turned  away  with  her  husband,  while  the  police 
brandished  his  staff  triumphantly.  The  husband's  crushed 
feeling  can  better  be  imagined  than  described." 

The  above  described  incident  has  been  confirmed,  as  I  made 
it  my  business  to  ask  the  gentleman  referred  to  about  it.  But 
the  half  will  never  be  told!  Just  think!  A  day  which  is  cele- 
brated to  commemorate  ''Liberty  and  Independence"  is  used 
on  the  public  highway,  on  a  public  occasion,  to  crush  and 
belittle  manhood  on  account  of  color,  under  the  flutter  of  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  during  the  regime  of  Republican  Admin- 
istration ! 

In  the  editorial  page  of  the  Baltimore  American  of  May  15, 
1909,  under  the  caption  "A  Canal  Zone  Clash,"  the  paper  con- 
tained the  following:  "The  clash  of  authority  which  recently 
occurred  between  the  police  force  of  the  Panamanian  govern- 
ment seems  to  indicate  that  either  the  respective  functions  and 
spheres  of  operation  of  the  two  forces  are  not  properly  appre- 
hended, or  else  there  is  an  antagonistic  spirit  existing  which 
should  be  investigated  and  corrected. 

"The  Panama  police  seem  to  have  crossed  into  the  Zone 
in  pursuit  of  an  escaped  prisoner,  who  was  probably  a  canal 
employee.  The  invading  officers,  who  were  roughly  treated 
and  driven  out  by  West  Indians,  returned  later,  reinforced 
and  armed  with  rifles.  An  open  engagement  between  the  Pan- 
ama police  and  the  canal  workers  followed,  in*  which  two  were 
killed — both  belonging  to  the  Zone  and  both  Americans. 

"The  Zone  government  is  a  conjoint  arrangement,  agreed 
upon  between  the  government  of  Panama  and  that  of  the 
United  States.  The  police  representing  outside  authority 
should  probably,  in  the  first  instance,  have  handed  over  the 
matter  to  the  Zone  authorities.  Certainly  the  two  govern- 
mental systems,  placed  as  they  are  in  close  contiguity  at  more 
than  a  score  of  different  points,  should  enter  into  a  standing 
arrangement  whereby  just  such  riotous  breaches  of  order 
would  be  avoided.  There  ought  not  to  be  a  constant  danger 
of  clashing  authority.  The  unpleasant  occurrence  is  under 
investigation,  and  it  is  to  be  anticipated  that  responsibility  for 


68  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

the  affair  and  punishment  for  those  found  to  be  responsible 
will  be  properly  placed." 

The  tenor  of  these  chapters  will  assist  the  intelligent  read- 
ing public  to  conclude  for  themselves.  The  author,  who  spent 
nearly  a  year  studying  the  conditions  on  the  Canal  Zone  and 
adjoining  cities,  will  say:  there  is  a  deep-seated  and  wide- 
spread ''dislike"  if  not  "hate"  in  the  bosom  of  the  natives  for 
Americans,  due  principally  to  color  prejudice.  That  is  the 
pivotal  point.  Nearly  all  the  Panamanian  policemen  are  col- 
ored, and  probably  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  population.  And 
such  "clashes"  are  sure  to  occur  until  race  hate  subsides. 


«   2 
be  g 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EFFORTS  TO  UPLIFT  THE  LABORERS  AND  AMELIORATE  THEIR 
CONDITION. 

Letters  to  that  effect  sent  to  and  received  from  Miss  Ger- 
trude Beeks,  Secretary  of  the  National  Civic  Federation  of 
New  York;  Mr.  Charles  R.  Towson,  International  Secretary 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association;  Mr.  A.  Bruce 
Minear,  Secretary  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  on  the  Canal  Zone;  Col. 
George  W.  Goethals,  Chief  Engineer  and  Chairman  of  the 
Isthmian  Canal  Commission. 

After  visiting  several  Negro  camps  along  the  line,  and  notic- 
ing their  environments,  I  decided  to  make  an  effort  to  do  some- 
thing, if  possible,  to  ameliorate  their  condition.  By  this  time 
I  had  received  a  letter  from  Miss  Gertrude  Beeks,  secretary  of 
the  National  Civic  Federation  of  New  York,  in  which,  among 
other  things,  she  admitted  that  the  condition  of  the  colored 
laborers  on  the  Isthmus  was  pitiable.  Part  of  her  letter  says : 

"We  have  no  work  upon  the  Isthmus  beyond  that  of  investigating 
the  conditions,  which  was  done  by  me,  and  the  recommendation  of  our 
Miss  Boswell  to  the  War  Department  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
womens'  clubs.  I  am  sending  you  a  copy  of  my  report.  You  are  per- 
fectly correct  in  thinking  that  the  majority  of  the  laborers  belong  to  the 
colored  race,  and  they  could  be  assisted  and  uplifted.  They  are  very 
desolate  now,  and  something  should  be  done  for  them." 

Miss  Beeks,  be  it  remembered,  visited  the  Isthmus  and  saw 
the  condition  she  admits  in  the  above  communication.  I  re- 
turned to  my  stopping  place  after  I  had  visited  the  secretary 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Cristobal,  to  call  his  attention  to  the 
pitiable  condition  of  the  colored  laborers  very  near  him,  but 
unfortunately  I  did  not  find  him  at  home.  I  then  replied  to 
Miss  Beeks'  letter  as  follows: 


72  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.,  February  28,  1908. 
Miss  GERTRUDE  BEEKS, 

Secretary  National  Civic  Federation, 
281  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York. 
DEAR  MADAM  : 

Your  letter  directed  to  my  Baltimore  address  has  been  forwarded  to 
me  today,  and  from  its  contents  I  hasten  to  reply.  1  arrived  on  the 
Isthmus  February  5th,  and  visited  many  negro  camps  and  inquired  into 
the  race  affairs.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  status  and  condition  of  the 
negro  people  employed  in  digging  the  canal,  to  say  the  least,  is  pitiable 
and  deplorable  in  many  instances.  I  am  perfectly  aware  that  these  col- 
ored people  are  aliens  to  the  United  States  Government,  yet  the  greater 
number  of  them  came  to  the  Zone  through  the  inducements  of  the 
agents  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  who  were  sent  expressly  to 
the  West  Indian  Islands  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  laborers  to  come  to 
the  Isthmus  and  work.  Since  they  comply  to  these  inducements  and 
come,  should  they  not  be  treated,  then,  with  some  consideration?  Yet, 
in  many  instances,  they  are  treated  as  brutes,  with  all  the  benefits  of  the 
doubt  in  favor  of  the  dumb  animals. 

Of  course,  I  am  not  criticising  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission.  I 
believe  they  are  honest  men  and  doing  the  best  they  can  to  make  for 
themselves  a  record.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  American 
people  are  making  history  for  future  generations  to  read  in  the  con- 
struction of  this  Panama  Canal,  and  anything  like  fair  treatment  for 
those  who,  through  poor  circumstances,  must  do  the  real  hard  work  of 
digging,  would  be  looked  upon  approvingly  by  the  gazing  world. 

Through  the  National  Civic  Federation  thousands  of  dollars  of  the 
Nation's  money  have  been  used  for  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  yet  there  is  not  a 
single  Y.  M.  C.  A.  for  the  thousands  of  colored  and  needy  men.  There 
is  no  Epworth  League  or  Christian  Endeavor  where  Christian  influences 
might  be  received  even 'on  Sundays. 

While  the  good  laws  of  the  Canal  Zone  forbid  gambling,  concubinage 
and  other  flagrant  evils,  yet  adjacent  to  Cristobal  is  Colon,  where  pro- 
fanity in  its  worst  and  most  shameful  form  is  indulged  in.  Sunday 
desecration,  gambling,  vulgar  and  vile  language  are  the  only  recreation 
for  Sundays.  At  such  a  place,  I  think,  some  light  house  of  Christian 
influence  should  be  erected  to  induce  the  negroes  to  live  right,  as  has 
been  done  for  the  white  people  all  along  the  line. 

Copies  of  letters  I  am  sending  to  the  secretary  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at 
Cristobal  and  the  officers  of  the  I.  C.  C.,  asking  that  something  be  done 
for  the  needy  colored  people,  are  herewith  enclosed  for  your  examina- 
tion. 

I  have  also  written  to  Mr.  Moorland,  international  secretary  of  the 
Colored  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  asking  him  to  use  his  in- 
fluence in  bringing  about  the  establishment  of  a  colored  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  73 

Cristobal,   where  the   thousands   of   immigrants   are   dumped   and   dis- 
persed for  work  on  the  Zone. 

As  the  laborers  will  be  the  sinews  for  digging  the  canal,  I  trust  you 
will  use  your  influence,  as  secretary  of  The  National  Civic  Federation, 
for  their  uplift  and  betterment  in  this  important  and  essential  direction. 
Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  kindness,  I  am, 

Yours  very  truly,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

I  again  visited  the  white  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Cristobal  and  spoke 
with  the  local  secretary  on  the  necessity  of  helping  and  uplift- 
ing the  colored  canal  workers  in  the  establishment  of  a  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  at  Cristobal  for  needy  men.  He  intimated  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  had  charge  of  the  colored  people's  work,  as  the 
Negroes  preferred  the  drum  and  the  Salvation  Army  uniform. 

"Is  that  so  ?"  I  asked  in  wonder.  "But  when  did  the  Salva- 
tion Army  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  organizations  consolidate?  Are 
they  working  as  one  here?" 

"Well,  not  exactly,  but— 

"Did  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  build  that  house  for 
the  Salvation  Army?"  I  asked. 

"I  think  they  did,  but  am  not  exactly  sure  about  that.  Prob- 
ably the  captain  could  tell  you." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "if  they  did  it,  then  the  money  must  be  taken 
from  the  government  appropriations,  and  that's  the  same  old 
church  and  state  coming  together  again.  And  that  •  Salvation 
Army  building  is  considered  the  Negroes'  clubhouse,  or  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  for  I  understand  they  work  exclusively  among  the  col- 
ored people,  and  the  house  is  built  in  the  Negro  section." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  exactly,  but  the  chief  secretary  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Culebra  could  tell  better." 

"What  is  his  name?" 

"Mr.  A.  Bruce  Minear,"  he  replied.  "He  will  be  here  in 
Cristobal  a  few  days  hence,  and  I  shall  speak  to  him  on  the 
subject." 

After  a  few  days,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  colored  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  secretary  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  he  urged  me  to  get 
in  touch  with  Mr.  Minear  and  ask  him  to  use  his  influence  for 
the  establishment  of  the  Association  among  the  needy  colored 
men  on  the  Isthmus.  I  then  wrote  the  following  letter : 


74  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

MR.  A.  BRUCE  MINEAR, 

Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Culebra,  C.  Z. 
DEAR  SIR  : 

I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  J.  E.  Moorland,  international  secretary 
of  the  Colored  Branch  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  who  resides  in  Washington, 
D.  C.  He  advised  me  to  get  in  touch  with  you  relative  to  establishing 
colored  Y.  M.  C.  A.  among  the  needy  men  on  the  Zone. 

Circumstances  might  alter  the  scale  of  individuals,  rich  or  poor,  white 
or  colored,  but,  as  you  know,  man  is  a  social  being,  irrespective  of  his 
position,  wealth,  color  or  nationality;  hence,  from  whatever  viewpoint 
of  the  compass  we  look  at  it,  God's  wisdom  will  be  seen  in  His  distri- 
bution to  the  rich  and  poor,  and  also  of  the  variety  of  the  races  of  men. 
The  Christianity  which  emanated  from  Christ,  however,  cannot  and 
should  not  be  circumscribed. 

If  a  heathen  servant  be  employed  as  domestic  by  a  Christian,  that 
Christian  should  shed  the  light  of  salvation  to  the  alien  servant.  Poor 
circumstances  brought  thousands  of  laborers  to  work,  practically  as  do- 
mestics, on  American  territory  on  the  Zone,  under  American  rule  and 
supervision.  The  transition  is  like  an  alien  servant  advertised  for  and 
hired  in  a  home.  Should  not  such  help  be  treated  kindly  and  with  hu- 
mane and  Christian  consideration? 

But  Mr.  Secretary  please  remember  that  the  treaty  between  Panama 
and  the  United  States  of  America  grants  the  latter  "perpetual  retention" 
of  the  Canal  Zone,  and  I  venture  to  say  that  seven-tenths  of  the  colored 
influx,  if  treated  with  consideration,  will  remain  on  the  Zone  and  be- 
come future  American  citizens. 

The  Y.  M  C.  A.  organization  was  intended  to  save  and  uplift  men. 
Why  give. additional  food  to  a  person  who  is  already  filled  and  well 
supplied?  Why  not  give  some  of  the  food  to  the  hungry  and  needy 
ones  dying  for  hunger  before  your  eyes  ?  Don't  you  think  a  little  of  the 
food  given  to  the  latter  class  would  be  better  relished  and  appreciated? 

On  one  hand,  ample  provisions  are  made  on  the  Zone  for  the  few 
thousand  whites  residing  there.  They  have  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  women's 
clubs,  places  of  amusement  and  recreation  and  other  essential  facilities. 
Yes,  it  is  eminently  fitting  to  provide  for  those  who  left  home  in  the 
States  to  do  this  giant  and  stupendous  task  of  canal  digging.  I  have 
not  a  word  of  criticism  to  offer  for  the  splendid  way  in  which  provision 
is  made  for  the  whites. 

But,  Mr.  Secretary,  on  the  other  hand,  look  at  the  thousands  of  col- 
ored people  who  are  the  hewers  of  wood  and  the  drawers  of  water  in 
the  same  execution  of  digging  the  canal !  View  how  they  are  crowded 
into  camps,  packed  into  huts  and  quarters  like  sardines  in  a  tin,  practi- 
cally homeless,  desolate  and  seemingly  friendless !  They  have  no  asso- 
ciation of  any  kind,  no  chaplain  as  you  have,  no  Christian  influence,  no 
woman's  club,  no  places  of  recreation,  no  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  no  Epworth 
League ! 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  75 

To  God  only  they  must  look  and  on  your  charity  depend  for  what 
they  receive  beside  their  small  wages  as  "Silver  Employees."  They  are 
wholly  dependent  upon  their  employers  as  the  alien  servant  is  upon  his 
master.  Why  not  offer  them  some  crumbs,  as  you  see  and  know  they 
are  hungry?  Left  alone,  as  they  are,  to  paddle  their  own  canoe,  do  we 
wonder  that  the  ballrooms  and  gambling  dens  in  the  adjacent  towns  are. 
overcrowded  with  them?  Is  it  not  for  that  same  human  love  of  associa- 
tion why  they  crowd  these  dens  of  sin? 

Can  we  blame  youths  to  drift  away  in  dens  of  vice  to  find  a  "little 
society,"  even  though  their  mothers'  prayers  and  tears  are  fresh  in  their 
minds,  and  whose  advice  they  still  recall?  It  is  only  a  few  weeks  ago 
since  they  left  home,  but  for  lack  of  pastime  and  recreation  they  are 
drifting  already!  Why  is  it?  Is  it  not  because  there  is  not  a  single 
place  where  these  unfortunate  colored  youths  can  spend  a  few  moments 
of  social  and  Christian  uplift?  Hence,  with  the  poet  we  ask: 

"Can  we,  whose  souls  are  lighted  with  wisdom  from  on  high, 
Can  we  to  those  who  need  it  the  lamp  of  light  deny?" 

Such  a  denial  will  be  a  reproach  to  the  One  we  profess ;  a  blot  on 
American  Christianity,  hospitality  and  generosity;  a  mockery  of  our 
theory  of  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  brotherhood  of  man.  But,  beside 
the  alien  colored  man,  there  are  some  colored  Americans  here,  and 
others  will  come.  Will  they  be  accorded  the  privileges  their  white  fel- 
low-citizens enjoy,  or  must  they  also  be  left  to  the  tender  mercy  of 
Satan  to  roam  without  the  restraint  afforded  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  ? 

Mr.  Secretary,  the  colored  race  is  never  hard  to  satisfy.  They  will 
be  contented  to  creep  before  walking.  Help  them  to  get  one  building 
for  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  let  it  be  situated  at  or  near  the  port  where  the  in- 
gress and  egress  of  the  laborers  occur.  The  immigrants  land  and  em- 
bark at  Colon,  hence  the  Fox  River  district  territory,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  negro  schoolhouse,  would  be  a  proper  place.  Let  it  be  situated 
where  the  most  good  can  be  accomplished,  that  some  friendless  colored 
man  might  receive  therefrom  glimmers  of  light  to  brighten  his  path- 
way and  encourage  his  heart  in  this  unfriendly  Zone. 

Very  respectfully  yours,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

After  a  few  days  Mr.  Minear  called  at  my  stopping  place 
to  see  me.  I  found  him  to  be  a  refined  and  very  courteous  gen- 
tleman. "What  do  you  think  of  the  prospect  of  the  colored 
people  getting  a  building  for  Y.  M.  C.  A.  ?"  I  asked. 

"Well,"  he  replied, /'to  be  frank,  I  am  doubtful  about  it.  We 
have  four  large  buildings  for  white  Y.  M.  C.  A.  purposes  along 
the  Line,  and  hope  to  have  another  soon,  if  the  application  be 
favorably  considered." 


76  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"About  how  much  does  one  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings 
cost?"  I  asked,  "and  from  where  is  the  money  obtained  for 
such  buildings'  maintenance  ?" 

"The  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  erects  the  buildings  and 
turns  them  over  to  the  Association,"  he  replied,  "and  the  prin- 
cipal source  of  their  maintenance  comes  from  membership 
fees  and  dues,  or  whatever  gratuitous  donation  or  benevolent 
offers  we  might  receive  from  time  to  time.  If  you  have  any 
rich  or  wealthy  person  in  the  States  interested  in  the  colored 
people  here,  probably  the  Commission  would  give  a  building. 
However,  I  will  speak  to  the  chief  men  on  the  subject  and  find 
out  if  anything  can  be  done  along  that  line,  as  it  is  very 
needful." 

After  Mr.  Minear  left  I  decided  to  bring  the  matter  directly 
to  Col.  George  W.  Goethals'  attention.  He  was  then  chairman 
of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  and  chief  of  the  corps  of 
engineers.  I  then  sent  him  the  following  letter : 

CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.,  April  7,  1908. 
COL.  GEORGE  W.  GOETHALS, 

Culebra,  Canal  Zone. 
DEAR  SIR: 

Enclosed  please  find  the  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  sent  to  Mr.  A.  B. 
Minear,  relative  to  the  establishment  of  a  colored  Y.  M.  C.  A.  on  the 
Zone.  Mr.  Minear  called  to  see  me  a  few  days  ago,  but  he  was  net  cer- 
tain what  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  would  do  in  the  matter, 
hence  I  take  this  step  of  bringing  the  subject  before  you  directly.  Per- 
mit me  to  thank  you  in  advance  for  your  kindness. 

Very  truly  yours,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

After  a  few  days  I  received  the  following  reply : 

April  10,  1908. 
D.  N.  E.  CAMPBELL,  M.  D., 

Cristobal,  C.  Z. 
SIR: 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  letter  of  April  7th,  enclosing 
copy  of  a  letter  from  you  to  Mr.  A.  Bruce  Minear,  relative  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  colored  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  on  the  Zone. 
In  reply  I  beg  to  say  that  the  clubhouses  on  the  Isthmus  were  con- 
structed by  the  Commission  for  the  benefit  of  white  American  em- 
ployes, and  are  operating  under  the  direction  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secre- 
taries. It  was  not  the  intention  to  construct  clubhouses  for  all  em- 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  J'J 

ployes  on  the  Isthmus,  and,  as  the  colored  Americans  connected  with 
the  work  are  so  few  and  scattered,  the  Commission  would  not  be  jus- 
tified in  expending  money  on  clubhouses  for  their  use.  Respectfully, 

GEORGE  W.  GOETHALS, 
Chairman  and  Chief  Engineer. 
Dep  —  O.      Copy  to  Mr.  A.  Bruce  Minear. 

I  also  sent  the  following-  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Inter- 
national Committee  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association : 

CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.,  Feb.  29,  1908. 
MR.  CHARLES  R.  Tow  SON, 

3  West  2gth  Street,  New  York  City. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

I  received  a  letter  yesterday  from  Miss  Gertrude  Beeks,  secretary  of  the 
National  Civic  Federation,  which  was  sent  to  my  address  at  Baltimore, 
Md.,  and  forwarded  here  to  me.  In  it  she  states  that  she  had  spoken 
to  you  relative  to  my  letter,  and  that  Mr.  Hicks  was  sent  here  to  as- 
certain what  could  be  done.  I  inquired  at  the  Association  at  Cristobal 
concerning  Mr.  Hicks,  but  was  informed  that  he  returned  to  New  York 
after  remaining  about  a  week  on  the  Zone.  You  will  pardon  me,  there- 
fore, for  writing  to  you. 

In  the  States  the  very  best  results  are  obtained  where  professors, 
preachers,  teachers  and  others  labor  among  their  own  race.  It  will  be 
so  in  every  community.  Prejudice  and  racial  difference  are  too  pro- 
nounced for  the  white  man  to  get  into  the  depth  of  the  colored  man's 
soul,  or  vice  versa.  Schools,  churches,  comfortable  residences,  Y.  M.  C. 
A.,  which  afford  avenues  for  recreation  and  amusement,  have  been  es- 
tablished along  the  Zone  for  the  white  people.  From  all  these  places 
the  colored  race  is  excluded  with  the  exception  of  public  school  facili- 
ties. *  *  *  I  am  only  a  private  volunteer,  but  I  have  found  the 
situation  an  unpleasant  one  for  colored  people.  They  are  not  citizens 
of  the  United  States,  and  hence  they  can  make  no  claim  for  comforts. 
To  God  they  must  look  and  on  charity  depend  for  what  they  receive 
But  they  are  furnishing  the  labor  for  the  stupendous  task  of  digging 
the  canal,  and  from  the  climatic  peculiarities  of  this  place  these  very 
West  Indians  will  be  the  mainstay  for  digging  this  canal.  They  are 
Silver  Employes,  and  get  very  little  wages.  They,  therefore,  should  be 
encouraged,  for,  to  say  the  least,  it  is  fierce  for  colored  laborers  here. 

Yours  truly,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

My  effort  thus  far  was  unsuccessful,  and  I  decided  to  desist 
from  writing  on  the  subject.  But  hope  was  not  entirely  gone, 
as  I  knew  something  should  and  would  be  done  for  the  uplift 
and  help  of  so  many  thousands  of  laborers.  After  some  days 
I  received  the  following  reply  : 


78  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA.,  March  18,  1908. 
REV.  N.  E.  CAMPBELL,  Cristobal,  C.  Z. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  After  receiving  your  letter  of  February  29th,  I  con- 
ferred with  Mr.  C.  J.  Hicks,  and  learned  through  him  that  you  are  in 
touch  with  the  secretaries  of  the  Association  en  the  Canal  Zone,  who 
are  giving  some  thought  to  the  question  of  work  among  the  colored 
men,  and  we  are  expecting  a  tentative  report  from  them  shortly;  mean- 
while, we  have  taken  up  the  question  with  the  Canal  Commissioners, 
and  found  that  they  are  not  disposed  to  immediately  make  any  appro- 
priation for  the  promotion  of  the  work  which  the  Association  might  de- 
sire to  inaugurate  in  behalf  of  the  "silver"  employes  on  the  Zone. 

I  find  myself  in  entire  agreement  with  your  proposition  that  these 
employes  should  be  encouraged  in  every  possible  way,  and  if  a  practical 
plan  can  be  formulated,  and  the  support  secured,  it  would  be  a  privilege 
for  the  Association  to  extend  its  efforts  in  this  direction.  While  we 
can  take  no  definite  step  at  this  time,  you  may  be  assured  that  the  rep- 
resenatives  of  the  Association  will  keep  the  matter  in  mind,  and  mean- 
while will  be  glad  to  have  any  further  information  which  you  can  sub- 
mit. Cordially  yours,  CHAS  R.  TOWSON. 

Up  to  the  time  I  left  the  Isthmus  no  step  was  taken  in  the 
direction  to  treat  the  men  who  are  doing  the  hard  work  of  dig- 
ging" the  canal  with  any  reasonable  consideration  as  has  been 
asked  to  be  done.  Can  anyone  wonder  then  that  the  Canal 
Record  of  January  13,  1909,  says: 

Subsistence  Department. — "The  matters  pertaining  to  the 
Subsistence  Department  are  presented  by  a  letter  from  the 
Subsistence  Officer  under  date  of  November  16,  1908,  who 
states :  The  attendance  in  the  messes  has  been  falling  off 
from  about  4,000  per  day  the  first  of  August  to  3,400  the  first 
of  November ;  the  kitchens  have  been  falling  off  from  6,000 
the  first  day  of  July  to  4,000  the  first  day  of  November. 

"Under  date  of  September  2,  1908,  the  Chairman  issued 
instructions  that  previous  instructions  from  this  office  requir- 
ing that  all  West  Indians  show  a  meal  check  before  they  were 
provided  with  sleeping  quarters,  should  be  rigidly  enforced — 
this  with  a  view  of  compelling  the  laborers  to  eat  at  the  kitch- 
ens. It  was  thought  at  the  time  that  the  enforcement  of  this 
order  would  have  the  effect  of  increasing  the  patronage  of  the 
kitchens  by  about  one  thousand.  The  result  showed  that  it  had 
the  opposite  effect. 

"As  soon  as  it  was  enforced  about  1,600  of  the  laborers  went 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  79 

into  the  'bush'  altogether,  neither  eating  nor  sleeping  in  Com- 
mission houses.  It  is  believed  from  the  report  of  the  Subsis- 
tence Officer  that  a  method  of  feeding  West  Indians  by  sale 
from  the  commissaries  instead  of  by  messes  can  be  met,  if  it  is 
definitely  understood  that  such  action  is  sanctioned.  It  is  my 
belief  that  the  only  real  difficulty  presented  is  that  pertaining 
to  the  Sanitary  Department.  The  Quartermaster's  Department 
and  the  Subsistence  Department  can  arrange  the  quarters  and 
food  to  fit  the  circumstances.  I  am  also  of  the  opinion  that  the 
time  to  prevent  the  West  Indians  living  in  the  'bush'  has 
passed.  The  situation  is  not  theoretical,  but  an  accomplished 
fact,  and  it  must  be  dealt  with  as  such..  It  is  not  believed  that 
some  16,000  laborers  could  be  driven  from  their  homes  into 
Commission  quarters  without  labor  trouble  serious  enough  to 
interfere  with  the  construction  of  the  Canal. 

"In  his  report  for  November,  the  chief  Quartermaster  states 
that  345  additional  West  Indians  left  Commission  quarters 
during  the  month,  and  presumably  have  moved  to  native  vil- 
lages or  the  'bush.' 

"Notwithstanding  this  continued  movement  the  number  of 
cases  of  malaria  among  the  employes  admitted  to  the  hospitals 
has  decreased  and  was  lower  in  November  than  in  any  month 
since  August,  although  the  total  force  has  remained  practically 
stationary." 

The  above  is  the  Commission's  Report,  but  as  the  laborers 
cannot  speak  in  the  matter,  let  me  say,  after  talking  with  hun- 
dreds of  them,  that  the  "falling  off"  is  due  to  the  treatment  the 
laborers  received.  And  those  remaining  to  endure  what  they 
cannot  change  or  cure  have  accepted  the  condition  simply 
because  they  have  not  the  funds  with  which  to  pay  their  way 
back  to  their  respective  homes. 

"Our  manhood  is  trampled  upon ;  our  speech  relative  to  our 
rights  is  forbidden;  our  just  complaints  are  disregarded;  the 
fact  is,  we  are  treated  as  a  herd  of  goats.  It  is  ten  thousand 
times  better  to  die  at  our  homes  in  the  islands  of  the  seas,  with- 
out any  money  at  all,  than  to  come  to  the  Isthmus  and  work 
under  these  Americans  down  here  as  laborers,"  said  one  of  a 
number  of  West  Indians  on  the  eve  of  sailing  home  before 
the  Christmas  holidays. 


8o 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


President  Roosevelt's  visit  to  Chief  Engineer  John  F.  Stevens, 
November,  1906,  at  Culebra,  Canal  Zone. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PRESIDENT  ROOSEVELT  APPRISED  OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  COLORED 
LABORERS  ON  THE  ISTHMUS.  JIMCROWISM  IN  THE  FEDERAL 
POSTOFFICE  UNDER  REPUBLICAN  ADMINISTRATION.  LETTER 
ON  JIMCROWISM  TO  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  AT  WASHINGTON, 
D.  C.,  AND  HIS  REPLY. 

"From  what  I  have  read  of  President  Roosevelt's  moral 
force  and  integrity,"  said  a  preacher,  who  had  visited  the 
Canal  Zone,  "I  do  not  believe  for  a  moment  that  he  knows  the 
real  condition  of  the  colored  people  here  on  the  Zone.  He  is 
the  great  exponent  of  the  doctrines  of  Justice  to  all,  Fair  play 
and  the  Square  deal.  It  is  rather  puzzling  to  any  reasonable 
mind  why  he  allows  the  managers  he  sent  down  here  to  make 
such  wicked  discrimination  without  some  kind  of  rebuke  or 
remedy.  And,  then,  I  understand  he  is  a  Republican,  too !  Is 
it  the  Republican  Party  that  dislikes  the  colored  people  and 
does  all  they  can  to  keep  them  down?  I  thought  it  was  another 
party.  Certainly,  I  am  not  versed  in  American  politics,  but  I 
thought  his  party  was  the  colored  people's  friend  and  strong- 
hold." 

"There  are  several  parties  in  the  United  States,  but  the  two 
great  ones  are  the  Republican  and  Democratic  Parties.  The 
Republican  Party  is  now  in  power,  but  most  of  the  men  sent 
here  to  manage  affairs  on  the  Isthmus  came  from  the  South. 
There  they  are  accustomed  to  racial  divisions,  and  that  is  the 
reason.  President  Roosevelt  might  have  the  people's  interest 
at  heart,  but  the  success  of  the  Canal  is  vastly  more  important 
to  him  than  the  temporary  dissatisfaction  of  the  colored  people 
on  the  Zone.  The  President  has  ninety  millions  of  people  to 
engage  his  attention.  But  don't  you  think  the  cause  of  the 
negroes'  dissatisfaction  on  the  Isthmus  is  traceable  to  their 
own  government  under  which  they  lived?"  I  said. 

"Do  not  misunderstand  me,  my  brother,"  said  the  min- 
ister, "I  am  not  blaming  the  President;  I  read  articles 


82  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

in  the  papers  that  the  Canal  Zone  is  ruled  and  gov- 
erned directly  by  him.  I  know  the  Americans  are 
liberal  and  kind  and  they  are  a  great  people,  but  their 
greatest  drawback  is  their  inherent  prejudice  on  account  of 
color.  I  understand  that  you  are  an  American  citizen,  but  you 
would  be  discriminated  against  at  their  post-office  as  any  of  the 
poor  alien  laborers.  And  in  a  country  where  the  racial  antipa- 
thy is  so  strong,  it  would  be  better  to  have  a  representative  of 
both  races  to  look  after  the  welfare  of  each." 

Some  days  after  the  distinguished  Methodist  divine  was 
gone,  while  reading  an  American  newspaper,  I  saw  that  the 
President  was  greatly  concerned  about  the  labor  situation  on 
the  Canal  Zone.  Remembering  the  remarks  of  my  learned 
visitor,  I  decided  that  I  would  make  a  suggestion  to  my  illus- 
trious Chief  Magistrate,  as  I  had  seen  and  studied  the  true 
situation  and  talked  directly  with  the  people  concerned.  I 
knew  that  the  lack  of  sympathy  for  the  colored  laborers  was 
the  chief  trouble,  and  that  the  Southern  white  men  on  the  Zone 
in  charge  of  the  work  would  not  be  much  concerned  in  the  wel- 
fare of  alien  Negroes.  I  then  wrote  the  following  letter : 

CRISTOBAL,  CANAL  ZONE,  April  22,  1908. 
HONORABLE  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT, 

President  United  States  of  America,  Washington,  D.  C. 
DEAR  SIR: 

I  hope  you  will  pardon  my  seeming  intrusion  on  your  good  nature 
and  precious  time  by  sending  you  this  communication  without  request; 
but  as  I  read  in  the  Baltimore  American  of  the  4th  instant  the  clipping 
herewith  enclosed,  I  decided  to  write  this  letter  to  you. 

As  Your  Excellency  seems  desirous  to  know  the  real  facts  connected 
with  the  Panama  labor  situation,  and  as  hitherto  all  the  commissioners 
sent  here  to  investigate  the  condition  on  the  Zone  have  been  white 
men  and  women,  who  probably  might  have  been  interested  only  in  the 
welfare  of  their  race  and  fellow-citizens  residing  here,  permit  me, 
please,  to  suggest  that,  as  there  are  about  forty  thousand  colored  alien 
laborers  employed  by  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  and  Panama 
Railroad  Company  to  do  this  giant  and  stupendous  task,  you  send  also 
a  colored  member  among  the  investigators.  I  was  thinking  of  writing 
to  some  of  the  colored  leaders  in  America  to  make  this  request  of  the 
Administration. 


\ 
SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  83 

I  arrived  here  from  the  States  nearly  three  months  ago,  and  was 
shocked  when  I  visited  the  laborers'  camps  at  Cristobal,  and  later  along 
the  Zone.  Actuated  by  pity  and  .sympathy  for  the  colored  race,  I  wrote 
to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  New  York  and  made  other  unavailing  efforts  to 
uplift  the  people  and  ameliorate  their  condition.  The  enclosed  letter  is 
a  copy  of  that  I  sent  to  Colonel  G.  W.  Goethals,  who  courteously  re- 
plied that  it  was  not  the  intention  to  construct  clubhouses  for  all  the 
employes  on  the  Isthmus,  etc. 

Of  course,  I  concluded  that  if  only  such  men  whom  the  officers  here 
delight  to  honor  are  sent  to  investigate  labor  conditions  on  the  Isthmus, 
then  the  true  facts  relative  to  the  laborers  may  never  be  ascertained 
nor  revealed.  Because  such  gentlemen,  on  their  arrival,  would  be  con- 
ducted to  the  best  hotels  and  feasted  sumptuously,  shown  every  cour- 
tesy and  the  ample  and  fitting  provisions  made  for  the  white  Ameri- 
cans. These  well-treated  investigators  would  probably  return  to  the 
States  with  the  joyful  tidings,  and  join  the  chorus  of  their  comrades 
that  the  canal  work  is  progressing  admirably. 

Their  statement  would  be  true,  but  the  poor,  needy  and  desolate  la- 
borers might  again  be  overlooked,  and  their  sad  condition  remain  un- 
improved. But  if  a  colored  investigator  be  sent,  also  the  colored  la- 
borers' sad  condition  would  receive  some  attention. 

Very  respectfully  yours,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

P.  S. — Copy  of  letter  sent  to  Mr.  A.  B.  Minear,  Secretary  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  on  the  Zone,  also  enclosed.     (This  letter  appears  in  Chapter  8.) 

But  the  chief  thing  that  made  me  the  object  of  attack  was  a 
public  address  I  delivered  in  the  Wesleyan  Chapel  at  Colon,  in 
which  I  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  Americans  in  gen- 
eral. Of  course,  it  was  an  open  secret,  of  which  I  was  not 
aware,  that  the  Panamanians  and  West  Indians  in  general  have 
no  earthly  use  for  Americans  save  for  the  work  the  latter 
afforded  the  public  to  earn  some  money.  "Your  American 
people  are  too  haughty,  and  have  too  much  race  prejudice!" 
they  say. 

Whenever,  therefore,  anything  unfavorable  occurred 
through  American  source,  some  intelligent  native  or  West 
Indian  would  seek  and  tantalize  me  about  it.  The  things  about 
which  these  people  would  talk  were  true,  but  I  usually  tried  to 
smooth  them  over  by  some  jests,  or  telling  them  to  be  careful 
in  removing  "the  mote  from  their  own  eyes  before  trying  to 
point  out  the  beam  that  is  in  their  brother's  eyes." 


84  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

For  a  time,  after  arriving  at  Cristobal,  I  received  my  mail 
without  any  trouble  at  the  Postoffice.  But  after  I  went  away 
and  returned,  the  clerk,  who  knew  me,  was  on  his  vacation,  and 
another  young"  man  was  in  his  place.  I  had  instructed  my  cor- 
respondents to  direct  my  mail  to  Colon  Postoffice,  as  it  was 
nearer  to  my  stopping  place,  but  as  the  native  clerks  often 
allowed  a  person's  letter  to  remain  in  the  Colon  Postoffice, 
sometimes  for  a  month  or  more,  without  carefully  looking  for 
and  delivering  it,  I  had  my  mail  sent  to  the  Cristobal  Postoffice 
again. 

Well,  the  Cristobal  Postoffice  is  jimcrowed.  There  are  two 
windows,  one  for  Americans,  and  the  other  for  West  Indian 
laborers  or  "colored  aliens,"  as  it  was  explained  to  me  pre- 
viously. When,  however,  I  went  to  the  Cristobal  Postoffice 
and  asked  for  my  mail,  the  new  clerk  told  me  that  I  would 
have  to  get  it  at  the  "other  window." 

"But  my  letters  are  from  the  United  States,  and  I  have 
always  received  my  mail  at  this  window,"  I  replied. 

"That's  nothing  to  the  purpose ;  the  past  is  the  past ;  but  the 
Postmaster  has  instructed  me  not  to  deliver  mail  to  any  colored 
person  from  the  white  people's  window,  unless  such  colored 
person  brings  a  note  from  some  white  person  asking  that  his 
or  her  letters  be  delivered  to  the  bearer.  All  colored  people 
receiving  their  own  mail  must  get  it  at  the  other  window,"  said 
the  clerk. 

"But  I  am  an  American  citizen  as  you  and  the  postmaster 
are,"  I  said. 

"That  doesn't  matter,"  continued  the  clerk ;  "I  have  to  follow 
the  instructions  given  me,  and  I  positively  cannot  wait  upon 
you  unless  you  go  around  to  the  other  window." 

Being  anxious  to  hear  from  home,  and  learning  that  mail 
was  there  for  me,  I  went  out  the  door  and  passed  into  another 
and  stood  erect  at  the  "alien  window."  Then  I  received  my 
mail.  "Thanks,"  said  I,  and  turned  away.  For  a  time  I  con- 
tented myself  and  received  my  mail  at  this  "window." 

One  day  I  went  to  the  Postoffice.  There  were  about  one 
hundred  laborers  in  line,  one  behind  the  other,  waiting  to  re- 
ceive their  mail.  I  waited  one  hour  and  ten  minutes,  and  as  1 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  85 

did  not  see  any  prospect  of  getting  to  the  window  for  a  long 
time,  as  many  persons  were  in  advance  of  me,  I  went  away. 

The  next  day  I  returned  to  the  Postoffice,  but  unfortu- 
nately there  were  more  laborers  in  line  waiting  for  their 
mail  than  appeared  to  have  been  there  the  previous  day. 
Seeing  no  one  at  the  American  or  white  people's  window,  I 
went  there  and  said  to  the  clerk :  "Yesterday  I  came  to  this 
office  and  had  to  return  without  receiving  my  mail,  as  there 
were  so  many  in  line  before  I  came.  Today  the  same  condi- 
tion exists.  I  have  not  time  to  wait  one  hour  and  ten  min- 
utes today,  as  I  did  yesterday.  Hence  I  would  be  greatly 
obliged  if  you  will  let  me  have  my  letters  at  this  window 
today,  and  save  me  the  unpleasant  necessity  of  waiting  here 
for  hours  or  returning  without  receiving  my  mail." 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  the  other  day  that  I  can't  serve  colored 
people  from  this  window?  Come  back  at  half-past  two 
o'clock,  when  the  laborers  are  at  work,  and  then  you  can 
get  your  letters  at  the  proper  place,"  said  the  clerk,  whose 
name  I  well  know.  There  was  nothing  else  to  do  but  go  away. 
This  state  of  affairs  went  on  for  a  long  time.  Sometimes 
my  letters  remained  for  about  ten  days  after  their  arrival 
before  I  received  them,  owing  to  the  large  number  of  labor- 
ers who  were  in  line  prior  to  my  arrival.  It  was  then  I 
wrote  the  Postmaster  the  following  letter : 

CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.,  May  14,  1908. 
HONORABLE  MEYER, 

Postmaster  General,  Washington,  D.  C. 
DEAR  SIR: 

Under  some  unostensible  pretense  the  Postoffice  Delivery  Department 
at  Cristobal,  Canal  Zone,  has  been  divided  into  two  parts,  one  for  white 
and  the  other  for  colored  people.  Mr.  M — ,  the  postoffice  clerk,  told  me 
that  the  "colored  delivery  window"  was  established  and  is  being  main- 
tained expressly  for  "colored  aliens  or  West  Indian  laborers."  , 

Although  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  yet  I  have  been  refused  my 
mail  at  the  Cristobal  Postoffice  unless  I  accepted  it  at  the  "colored  alien 
window."  This  window  is  generally  crowded,  and  a  colored  person 
would  have  to  fall  in  line  often  among  fifty  to  one  hundred  laborers 
and  consume  one  -or  more  than  an  hour  in  waiting.  If  there  is  only 
one  clerk  to  deliver  the  mail,  whenever  a  white  person  appears  at  their 


86  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

window  such  is  attended  to  first,  and  the  colored  patron  must  wait,  even 
though  standing  there  an  hour  before  the  arrival  of  the  white  patron. 

Such  being  the  case,  an  unreasonable  amount  of  time  is  consumed  in 
getting  mail  from  the  colored  window.  Letters  are  not  delivered  at  the 
homes  here,  as  is  done  in  the  States,  and  colored  American  citizens, 
however  busy,  must  also  remain  in  the  line  and  suffer  the  same  indig- 
nity as  the  alien  laborers.  In  spite  of  my  repeated  information  to  the 
clerks  that  I  am  not  an  "alien,"  they  declared  that  the  canal  postmaster 
issued  strict  orders  that  all  colored  persons,  must  receive  their  letters 
from  the  colored  alien  laborer's  window  or  not  at  all. 

The  humiliating  indignity  would  not  have  been  so  painful  but  for  the 
fact,  in  the  majority  of  instances,  from  50  to  100  laborers  are  there 
waiting  in  line  for  mail,  and  much  precious  time  is  consumed  in  wait- 
ing. At  the  white  people's  window,  which  is  usually  empty,  the  clerk 
positively  refused  to  give  mail  to  any  colored  person,  unless  such  calls 
for  a  white  man's  letter  in  the  capacity  of  a  servant.  To  enlighten  me, 
please  answer  the  following  inquiries : 

1.  Whether  or  not  citizens  of  the  United  States  on  the  Canal  Zone 
territory  should  be  discriminated  against  at  the  postoffices  on  account 
of  color? 

2.  Whether   the    United    States    Constitution    has    been   changed    or 
amended  to  that  effect? 

3.  Has  the  Postmaster  at  Cristobal  or  anywhere  else  on  the  Canal 
Zone  been  authorized  by  any  act  of  Congress,  throug/i  the  President  or 
the  Postoffice  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C,  to  institute  and  enforce 
such  discrimination  on  account  of  color? 

Let  me  add  that  the  Cristobal  Postoffice  is  losing  thousands  of  dollars 
annually,  for,  as  I  am  in  a  position  to  know,  thousands  and  thousands 
of  people  refuse  to  trade  at  the  Cristobal  Postoffice  on  account  of  said 
discrimination,  preferring  to  accept  less  efficient  service  at  the  Colon 
Postoffice  than  to  accept  the  indignity  imposed  upon  all  colored  persons 
who  might  attempt  to  patronize  the  Cristobal  Postoffice.  Please  ac- 
knowledge the  receipt  of  this  communication. 

Yours  very  truly,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

Along  with  the  above  letter  to  the  Postmaster  General  I 
sent  the  following  to  President  Roosevelt : 

CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.,  May  14,  1908. 
HONORABLE  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT, 

President  United  States  of  America,  Washington,  D.  C. 

DEAR  SIR: 

I  mailed  to  you  a  letter  dated  April  22nd  last,  in  which  I  stated  that 
it  was  my  intention  to  write  the  leaders  of  the  colored  race  in  the 
States  that  they  request  the  President  to  send  a  colored  member  among 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  87 

the    intended    commissioners    to    investigate    labor    conditions    on    the 
Isthmus. 

Herewith  please  find  the  copy  of  a  letter  I  was  forced  to  send  to  the 
Postmaster  General.  I  take  this  step  of  enclosing  to  you  a  copy  of  it  to 
inform  you  of  its  contents.  I  am  confident  that  His  Excellency  is  not 
aware  of  most  of  the  grievances  of  the  colored  race  on  the  Zone,  under 
pretense  that  they  are  aliens.  I  believe,  Mr.  President,  that  you  will 
agree  with  me  that  if  a  Republican  President  really  knows  of  the  in- 
dignity and  injustice  heaped  upon  the  colored  race  on  the  Canal  Zone, 
and  then  winks  at  it,  any  colored  American  would  be  justified  to  inau- 
gurate a  crusade  and  tell  the  race  that  it  is  worse  than  folly  to  adhere 
to  the  Republican  party,  but  that  they  should  renounce  their  allegiance 
and  flock  to  the  Japanese  Legation  and  become  citizens  of  the  Mikado's 
Empire,  if  there  was  nothing  better  to  do.  *  *  *  I  was  endeavoring 
to  shut  my  eyes  that  I  would  not  see  the  wrongs,  and  deaf  my  ears  that 
I  should  not  hear  the  just  groans  of  the  colored  people  on  the  Zone;  but 
the  door  of  insult  has  been  thrown  open  in  my  face,  hence  I  am  com- 
pelled to  speak.  Yes,  it  would  be  gross  injustice  to  the  race  if  the  lead- 
ers of  the  negro  race  in  the  United  States  were  not  informed  of  the 
true  condition  that  exists  on  the  Canal  Zone  under  Republican  admin- 
istration, and  govern  their  acts  accordingly. 

Yours  truly,  D.  N.  E.  C. 

Under  date  of  May  27,  1908,  I  received  the  following  letter 
from  the  Postoffice  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

DR.  D.  NEWTON  E.  CAMPBELL, 

Cristobal,  Canal  Zone. 
SIR: 

Your  letter  of  the  I4th  instant,  addressed  to  the  Postmaster  General, 
has  been  referred  to  the  War  Department  for  attention,  as  this  Depart- 
ment has  nothing  to  do  with  postoffices  in  the  Canal  Zone. 

Respectfully  C.  P.  GRANDFIELD, 

First  Assistant  Postmaster  General. 

But  that  letter  which  the  PostofBce  Department  sent  to 
the  War  Department  was  never  answered !  Who  was  Sec- 
retary of  War  then?  Had  Mr.  Taft  yet  resigned  to  become 
Republican  standard  bearer?  Well,  it  is  the  popular  belief 
among  some  people,  and  the  consensus  of  opinion  among 
others,  that  the  Democrats  are  responsible  for  all,  or  nearly 
all,  the  evils  the  colored  race  suffers  and  endures.  It  is  said 
that  the  Canal  Zone  is  under  the  direct  management  of  the 
War  Department,  and  everybody  knows  that  the  War  De- 


88  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

partment  is  not  a  distinct  and  separate  entity,  but  one  of  the 
branches  of  the  Executive  Department  of  the  United  States 
Government.  Remember  that  fact,  my  friends !  Are  not  all 
the  branches  of  the  Executive  Department  under  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  ?  If  jimcrowism  exists  at  the  post- 
offices  in  the  Zone  territory,  and  the  War  Department  be 
held  responsible  for  its  existence,  will  not  the  President  of 
the  United  States  be  responsible  also  for  its  existence? 

But  look  at  the  mystery  sheet !  Well,  probably  the  Wai- 
Department  is  responsible  in  this  instance  for  all  the  indig- 
nity and  injustice  heaped  upon  the  colored  folks  in  the  Canal 
Zone,  because  the  Secretary  of  War,  ^Gen.  Luke  E.  Wright, 
was  once,  and  perhaps  is  now,  a  Democrat  in  views  and  be- 
'lief!  And  the  Democratic  party  is  responsible  for  all  the 
woes  of  the  colored  people!  Well,  let  it  be  so.  For  if  the 
Republican  party  had  the  control  and  management  of  the 
Canal  Zone  the  poor  negro  laborers  would  have  fared  better, 
and  jimcrowism  practiced  as  a  fine  art  would  never  be  coun- 
tenanced to  the  extent  of  being  in  the  postoffices !  No ! 
Never ! ! 

Being  optimistic  in  my  views,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that 
good  comes  out  of  evil.  But  I  know  from  close  observation 
and  the  records  of  history  that  injustice  is  sure  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  retribution,  when  one  individual  or  race  wrongs 
another,  but  especially  is  it  sure  when  the  strong  wrongs  the 
weak.  The  weaker  race  in  every  country  and  age  of  the 
world  has  always  been  termed  the  "bad."  It  was  so  in  the 
time  of  Christ.  Are  we  not  living  in  an  age  when  "might" 
is  regarded  as  right  ?  Look  around  and  see !  True  are  the 
words  of  the  writer  who  said : 

"Injustice  leagued  with  strength  and  power, 

Nor  truth  nor  innocence  can  stay ; 
In  vain  they  plead  with  tyrants  lower, 

And  seek  to  make  the  weak  their  prey. 
No  equal  rights  obtain  regard 
When  passion's  fire  and  spoil  regard." 

Mr.  Taft  said  in  his  speech  of  acceptance,  on  the  rights 
and  progress  of  the  Negro :  "The  Negro,  in  the  forty  years 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  89 

since  he  was  freed  from  slavery,  has  made  remarkable  prog- 
ress. He  is  becoming  a  more  and  more  valuable  member  of 
the  communities  in  which  he  lives.  The  education  of  the 
Negro  is  being  expanded  and  improved  in  every  way.  The 
best  men  of  both  races,  at  the  North  as  well  as  at  the  South, 
ought  to  rejoice  to  see  growing  up  among  the  Southern 
people  an  influential  element  disposed  to  encourage  the 
Negro  in  his  hard  struggle  for  industrial  independence  and 
assured  political  status.  The  Republican  platform,  adopted 
at  Chicago,  explicitly  demands  justice  for  all  men,  without 
regard  to  race  or  color,  and  just  as  explicitly  declares  for  the 
enforcement,  and  without  reservation,  in  letter  and  spirit  of 
the  Thirteenth,  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth  Amendments  to 
the  Constitution. 

"It  is  needless  to  say  that  I  stand  with  my  party  squarely 
on  that  plank  in  the  platform,  and  believe  that  equal  justice 
to  all  men,  and  the  fair  and  impartial  enforcement  of  these 
amendments,  is  in  keeping  with  the  real  American  spirit  of 
•fair  play."  As  President-elect  Air.  Taft,  in  his  address  to 
the  colored  people  at  New  Orleans,  on  his  return  from  the 
Canal  Zone,  said :  "Your  history  shows  that  a  great  deal  of 
injustice  has  been  done  to  you,  but  you  must  iorget  this  and 
eliminate  all  prejudice  if  you  wish  to  assist  in  settling  the 
race  question.  If  you  want  a  square  deal,  you  must  give  a 
square  deal." 

We  hope  these  forceful  utterances  might  not  in  the  fu- 
ture be  proved  to  be  only  "play  of  words,"  but  that  they  will 
prove  to  be  affaire  du  cocur.  This  is  an  age  when  theory 
should  be  converted  into  practice.  The  noonday  light  of  the 
golden  twentieth  century  is  no  time  for  pet  doctrines  to  be 
heralded  and  precepts  sounded  which  eventually  prove  to  be 
meaningless  pratings  of  "sounding  brass,  of  tinkling 
cymbal." 

I  prefer  a  pound  of  example  to  a  hundredweight  of  pre- 
cept in  this  "square  deal  theory."  The  Negro  race  would  be 
glad  to  have  some  "fruits"  of  this  theory,  as  we  have  had 
enough  "theories"  only  of  late. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE   CANAL   ZONE   AN    IDEAL    PARADISE    FOR   THE    WHITE   PEOPLE. 

The  Canal  Zone  territory  is  fifty  miles  long,  and  extends 
Jive  miles  on  either  side  of  the  canal  route.  (See  map).  It 
has  six  divisions,  namely,  Cristobal,  Gatun,  Buenavista, 
Gorgona,  Emperador  and  Ancon.  The  first-named  division 
is  en  the  Atlantic  side  and  the  last  on  the  Pacific.  This 
strip  of  land  is  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States 
Its  affairs  are  regulated  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  re- 
ceives instruction  for  its  management  from  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  The  local  affairs  on  the  Zone  are  man- 
aged by  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  of  which  Hon- 
orable Joseph  C.  S.  Blackburn  is  governor;  Col.  George  W. 
Goethals,  U.  S.  Army,  is  chief  engineer,  chairman  of  the 
Commission  and  president  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Com- 
pany on  the  Isthmus,  and  Honorable  Joseph  B.  Bishop  is 
secretary  of  the  Commission. 

HOUSES. 

Convenient,  attractive  and  comfortable  public  buildings 
and  dwelling  houses  have  been  built  from  Cristobal,  on  the  At- 
lantic entrance,  into  the  Zone  territory,  all  along  the  Line  to 
the  city  of  Panama,  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Commodious  ad- 
ministration buildings,  too,  are  located  at  different  towns 
for  the  transaction  of  public  business.  Special  mention 
might  be  made  of  the  Administration  Buildings  at  Ancon 
and  Culebra,  which  are  spacious  within  and  without.  Be- 
tween three  and  four  thousand  buildings  have  been  erected 
by  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  as  offices  and  residences 
for  the  employes  of  the  Government.  The  houses  are 
framed,  'nicely  painted  and  carefully  screened.  The  Canal 
Record  Report  of  January  20,  1909,  says : 

"In  an  effort  to  protect  the  employes  against  malaria  and 
yellow  fever  infection  by  preventing  anopheles  and  stego- 
myia  mosquitoes  from  entering  the  houses,  the  Isthmian 


92  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

Canal  Commission  has  expended,  since  the  beginning  of  the 
canal  operations,  May,  1904,  until  September  30,  1908,  ap- 
proximately $619,000  as  screening  expenditures.  This 
amount  includes  not  only  the  wire,  but  all  extra  woodwork, 
painting  and  labor  required  on  account  of  the  screening,  and 
a  large  allowance  for  brass  screen,  which  has  proved  defec- 
tive, or  which  has  been  unsuitable  to  the  Isthmian  climate. 

''The  screening  used  by  the  Commission  has  been  of  two 
kinds — bronze  and  wire — containing  80  to  90  per  cent,  cop- 
per, and  brass  wire,  containing  from  62  to  66  per  cent,  cop- 
per. The  brass  wire  has  not  proved  satisfactory.  The 
amount  of  screening  used  during  this  period  was  666,975 
square  yards,  at  a  cost  for  the  wire  of  $255,714,  averaging 
38.34  cents  per  square  yard.  Of  this  amount  266,667  yards 
were  brass  wire,  costing  $98,645,  an  average  of  36.99  cents 
per  square  yard." 

Married  white  Americans  on  the  Zone  in  the  employ  of 
the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  and  Panama  Railroad  Com- 
pany are  provided  with  furnished  homes  and  very  good  pay. 
Commissary  books  can  be  obtained  by  each  employe,  who 
receives  from  the  Commissary  whatever  he  or  she  wishes  at 
cost  price.  For  everything  taken  at  the  commissary  by  an 
employe  strict  account  is  kept  by  the  clerk,  and  the  amount 
is  deducted  from  the  monthly  pay.  This  privilege  is  ex- 
tended to  the  employes  irrespective  of  color.  Adjacent  to 
each  house  there  is  plenty  of  land  for  children  to  romp  and 
play,  and  where  happy  evenings  might  be  spent  on  the  lawn 
all  the  year  round  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  cool  tropical 
breeze,  which  generally  begins  to  blow  when  the  fierce  sun 
goes  down. 

Hotels  are  available,  but  the  prices  are  high,  and  well-to- 
do  people  who  have  visited  the  Isthmus  admit  that  it  is  the 
"most  expensive  place  on  earth."  Hotel  accommodations 
cost  from  two  to  ten  dollars  gold  a  day,  in  addition  to  the 
Panama  cigars  marked  "special"  at  25  cents  each.  One  of 
the  most  important  features  in  the  construction  of  houses  on 
the  Zone  is  the  veranda,  which  enables  the  occupants  to  live 
practically  in  the  open  air. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  93 

SCHOOLS. 

Schools  are  provided  for  children  of  both  races  where  I 
have  visited  with  exception  to  Gatun,  where  the  colored 
children  have  no  school  facility.  The  first  public  free  school 
on  the  Zone  was  opened  January,  1906,  at  Corozal.  The 
majority  of  the  white  teachers  are  women ;  it  is  the  opposite 
with  the  colored  teachers.  In  the  few  places  where  there 
are  no  schools  for  white  children  the  railroad  issued  free 
passes  to  the  children,  with  the  consent  of  parents  and  at 
their  risk  and  responsibility,  to  ride  on  the  train  to  the  near- 
est public  school.  Professor  David  C.  O'Connor  is  the  su- 
perintendent of  schools.  During  the  time  of  my  visit  col- 
ored teachers  were  paid  $60  gold  per  month;  one  class  of 
the  white  teachers  was  paid  $90  gold  per  month,  and  the 
other  class  $110.  The  white  people  are  provided  with  chap- 
lains to  look  after  their  spiritual  needs,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  So- 
bey,  at  Empire,  is  one  of  the  chaplains.  There  are  small 
chapels  erected  along  the  Line  where  the  white  people  wor- 
ship God. 

YOUNG   MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION. 

Clubhouses  have  been  built  throughout  the  Zone  for 
white  Americans,  but  any  other  white  employes  are  not  re- 
jected. These  buildings  are  beautiful  and  commodious,  well 
furnished  and  up  to  date.  Music,  lectures,  educational 
studies,  sports  and  wholesome  amusements  of  all  kinds  are 
practiced  and  enjoyed.  Mr.  A.  Bruce  Minear,  of  Culebra, 
is  chief  secretary  of  the  Association  on  the  Zone. 

WOMEN'S  CLUBS. 

One  of  the  most  salient  features  of  social  life  on  the  Zone 
is  the  women's  clubs.  As  man  is  more  contented  where  the 
fairer  sex  is  to  be  found,  and  as  woman  is  better  satisfied 
where  she  can  pass  life  in  society,  the  National  Civic  Fed- 
eration of  New  York  sent  Miss  Boswell  to  the  Isthmus,  and 
through  her  recommendation  to  the  War  Department,  for 
the  encouragement  of  the  wives  and  daughters  of  white  em- 
ployes on  the  Isthmus,  the  Canal  Zone  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs  was  organized.  Each  town  has  its  own 


94  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

Women's  Club,  and  all  the  clubs  constitute  the  "Federa- 
tion." The  aim  and  object  of  the  Women's  Club  on  the 
Isthmus  might  be  gathered  from  the  following  remarks  of 
one  of  the  presidents  of  the  Zone  Federation,  who  said  : 

"The  ideal  club  is  an  organization  that  is  doing  something 
worth  while,  something  that  stands  for  the  betterment  of 
the  home,  the  individual  and  the  community.  Let  me  em- 
phasize the  responsibilities  and  obligations  of  the  Zone 
Clubs  and  members  of  the  General  Federation.  Let  me  urge 
the  necessity  of  keeping  a  high  standard  in  department  and 
co-operative  work,  and  not  allowing  the  organization  to  be- 
come a  purely  social  or  card  club.  Simplicity  of  living  and 
individual  improvement  are  all  worthy  to  study  and  set 
forth.  Organized  clubs  are  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
social  intercourse  with  women,  and  members  are  reminded 
that  visiting  the  newcomers  and  strangers  is  a  special  part 
of  club  life  on  the  Zone,  and  all  the  clubs  should  be  general 
missionaries  in  such  work." 

But  remember  that  the  thousands  of  colored  women  on 
the  Zone  who  are  wives  and  daughters  of  colored  employes 
have  no  clubs.  Should  they  not  be  uplifted,  too? 

HEALTH   ON   THE   ZONE. 

One  of  the  chief  causes  of  failure  during  the  days  of  the 
French  was  the  mosquito.  Ample  provisions  were  made  for 
the  sick,  but  no  effort  was  made  to  prevent  sickness.  Yel- 
low fever  and  malaria  were  unchecked  scourges  that  killed 
-the  laborers  by  thousands,  and  incapacitated  others  for 
work. 

But  under  the  master  mind  and  magic  hand  of  Col.  Wm. 
C.  Gorgas,  M.  D.,  Chief  Sanitary  Officer  of  the  Canal  Zone, 
after  a  fierce  fight  against  a  relentless  foe  and  overwhelming 
odds,  he  succeeded  in  ridding  the  Canal  Zone  of  the  mos- 
quito pest,  and  converted  this  dreaded  "death  region"  into 
a  very  pleasant  health  resort.  What !  Oh,  yes ;  that  is  what 
he  has  done !  To  this  distinguished  scientist  much  praise 
is  due.  His  valuable  and  inestimable  service  makes  it  pos- 
sible for  the  American  nation  to  cut  and  build  the  Panama 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  95 

Canal  and  add  new  laurels  to  their  already  wonderful 
achievements  as  the  "Young  Nation  of  the  West."  Is  it  not 
proper  to  suggest  that  a  statue  in  his  honor  should  be 
erected  at  some  public  place  on  the  Canal  Zone,  with  such 
suitable  inscription  as  to  commemorate  his  undying  name 
and  fame?  He  deserves  it,  and  we  should  not  wait  until  a 
man  is  dead  to  cover  his  casket  with  profusions  of  wreaths 
and  flowers  as  to  hide  it  from  view.  Give  him  a  rose 
while  he  lives,  that  he  might  enjoy  it ! 

The  Health  Report  of  the  Canal  Zone  shows  each  month 
that  the  Isthmus  is  as  healthy  now  as  any  city  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  fight  against  the  mosquito  is  still  being  vig- 
orously carried  on  ;  but  as  long  as  time  lasts  there  will  al- 
ways be  malaria  on  the  Isthmus.  It  is  the  natural  region 
for  the  germs.  And  these  minute  micro-organisms  contam- 
inate all  forms  of  animal  life  with  which  they  come  in  con- 
tact. Rats  are  infected  by  them,  and  fleas  suck  the  blood  of 
the  rats,  then  in  turn  sting  mankind.  Is  there  any  plan  to 
annihilate  the  invincible  fleas  of  the  Isthmus?  No!  And  I 
do  not  think  there  will  ever  be  a  satisfactory  solution  for  the 
flea  problem  in  Colon  and  Panama.  Read  their  resolution 
in  chapter  three  of  this  book.  From  this  viewpoint  malaria 
will  always  be  the  lash  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

A  vigorous  crusade  was  recently  inaugurated  against  the 
rats  by  the  Sanitary  Department.  Instructions  were  issued  to 
lower  all  houses  and  cement  up  to  the  floorings  every  inch  of 
space,  so  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  harboring  rats, 
through  which  source  the  pesterous  fleas  are  scattered.  The 
mosquitoes  are  driven  to  the  back  woods,  but  the  fleas  still  hold 
the  fort. 

HOSPITALS. 

Under  the  efficient  management  of  Dr.  H.  C.  Carter, 
director  of  hospitals,  these  institutions  are  to  be  found  all  along 
the  Line.  Ancon  Hospital  is  located  on  a  piece  of  ground 
about  80  acres,  on  the  Northern  slope  of  Ancon  Hill,  and  com- 
mands an  extensive  view  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  surrounding 
mountains.  It  is  the  largest  hospital  on  the  Canal  Zone,  and 


96  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

takes  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  surgical  and  other  hospital  cases  in 
the  territory  south  of  Tabernilla,  and  receives  patients  from 
the  city  of  Panama  and  the  quarantine  station  at  the  Pacific 
end  of  the  Canal.  There  are  96  buildings,  most  of  which  are 
screened.  Among  them  are  18  quarters  for  married  employes, 
4  quarters  for  nurses,  a  large  building  for  bachelors,  47  wards 
in  32  buildings,  and  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel ;  also  a  Protes- 
tant chapel  is  expected  to  be  built.  The  Zone  Insane  Asylum, 
consisting  of  8  buildings,  is  enclosed  separately.  There  are 
also  an  admitting  office,  administration  building,  a  Board  of 
Health  laboratory,  laundry,  kitchens  and  mess  houses,  servants' 
quarters,  storehouses,  etc. 

Colon  Hospital,  containing  40  buildings,  is  located  on  the 
north  side  of  Manzanillo  Island,  adjoining  the  city  of  Colon, 
and  facing  an  arm  of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  houses  are 
framed  and  screened,  and  situated  on  a  narrow  strip  of  land 
about  13  acres.  One  of  the  wards  of  the  hospital  stands  about 
80  feet  from  the  water's  edge,  while  most  of  the  buildings  are 
alongside  the  sea,  thus  commanding  an  unobstructed  view  and 
getting  the  full  benefit  of  the  sea  breeze,  which  blows  con- 
stantly. 

These  hospitals  are  up-to-date  in  every  respect.  There  are 
also  quarantine  stations  for  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  sides  of 
the  Canal  Zone.  The  station  for  the  Pacific  side  is  very  inter- 
esting. It  is  the  Culebra  Island  Quarantine  Station,  which  is 
situated  on  a  small  island  two  miles  from  the  mainland  and 
completely  isolated.  It  is  elliptical  in  shape  and  measures  1,000 
feet  by  400.  In  the  center  of  this  island,  and  at  its  highest 
point,  there  is  a  tank  of  8,000  gallons  capacity,  into  which 
fresh  water  is  collected  during  the  rainy  seasons  and  stored  in 
two  50,000  gallon  tanks,  whence  it  is  pumped  when  needed. 
There  are  few  buildings  on  the  island,  chief  of  which  is  the 
Detention  House  for  cabin  passengers.  This  house  is  92  by 
48  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  a  kitchen  and  storeroom  attached 
which  measure  32  by  21  feet.  It  contains  18  bedrooms,  each 
capable  of  accommodating  four  persons.  There  is  a  social 
room  and  dining-room,  and  a  veranda  runs  around  the  building. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  97 

GOOD    CHARITY    WORK. 

In  addition  to  the  many  hospitals  erected  all  through  the 
Zone,  for  the  use  of  sick  employes  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Com- 
mission and  Panama  Railroad  Company,  the  Santo  Thomas 
Hospital,  in  the  city  of  Panama,  was  built  and  repaired  by  the 
Commission  for  the  care  of  indigent  sick  of  the  Panama  Re- 
public and  other  persons  not  connected  with  the  Canal  work, 
and  also  with  a  view  of  relieving  the  Commission  hospitals. 
The  following  recommendation  was  sanctioned  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Canal  Zone,  October  4,  1905,  which  says : 

"An  emergency  exists  for  additional  hospital  accommoda- 
tions on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  the  Chief  Sanitary 
Officer  of  the  Government  of  the  Canal  Zone  recommends  that 
the  existing  structure  of  the  Santo  Thomas  Hospital  in  the 
city  of  Panama  be  repaired,  enlarged  and  equipped  in  such 
manner  as  to  make  said  hospital  capable  of  adequately  accom- 
modating three  hundred  patients,  and  thereafter  operated  and 
maintained  at  that  standard,  as  a  hospital  for  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  foreign  seamen,  strangers,  etc., 
thereby  relieving  Ancon  and  Colon  hospitals  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  such  patients  constantly  under  treatment  at  such  insti- 
tutions, and  making  it  possible  to  devote  said  hospitals  exclus- 
ively to  the  necessities  of  the  employes  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission  and  inhabitants  of  the  Zone." 

The  sum  of  $55,500  was  then  set  apart  for  the  repairs  and 
necessary  new  buildings,  but  a  partial  repayment  of  $42,500, 
already  appropriated  by  the  Panamanian  Government,  was  pro- 
vided, leaving  $13,000  to  be  paid  by  the  United  States.  At  the 
same  time  an  agreement  was  made  with  the  Panamanians  by 
which  the  Commission  was  to  furnish  a  portion  of  the  hospital 
staff,  and  all  other  expenses  were  to  be  borne  by  the  Pana- 
manian Government. 

But  the  amount  of  money  given  and  appropriated  was  found 
to  be  too  small  for  the  work  which  was  to  be  done,  and  the 
Commission  increased  the  original  amount  until  the  sum  of 
$118,000  was  appropriated.  This  hospital  consists  of  a  group 
of  buildings  and  is  governed  by  a  board  of  five  members,  two 
of  whom  are  appointed  by  the  Commission  and  three  by  the 


98  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

Panamanian  Government.  Sanitary  plumbing  and  a  fire  pro- 
tection system  were  installed  and  the  old  buildings  repaired  and 
the  new  ones  constructed.  The  grounds  of  Santo  Thomas 
were  then  graded,  guttering  added,  underbrush  cleared,  earth 
closets  removed,  and  the  whole  place  was  put  in  sanitary  con- 
dition. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  buildings  on  the  ground:  A 
modern  operating  building  58  feet  square,  and  equipped  with 
the  most  modern  surgical  appliances;  a  central  kitchen,  where 
food  is  provided  for  the  whole  establishment,  and  a  dispensary 
building  with  quarters  on  the  upper  floor  for  the  Catholic  Sis- 
ters. Then  there  is  a  two-story  dormitory  for  the  orphans 
who  assist  the  Sisters  in  the  housework.  This  building  is  now- 
used  as  a  woman's  ward  and  contains  38  beds.  There  is  a 
stable,  an  ambulance  house,  a  post  mortem  and  dead  house. 
In  addition  to  the  buildings  constructed  by  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission,  the  Panamanian  Government  has  provided  at  its 
own  expense  a  large  maternity  ward,  two  stories  high,  con- 
taining 24  beds,  with  an  operating  and  dressing  room.  The 
hospital  site  covers  approximately  two  and  a  half  acres  of  land. 

GARDENS. 

The  Commission  at  the  time  I  visited  the  Isthmus  had  three 
gardens,  one  each  at  Ancon,  Corozal  and  Empire.  These  three 
gardens  comprised  about  eleven  acres.  There  are  the  wet  and 
dry  seasons  for  gardening.  The  results  of  the  work  in  the 
truck  gardens  during  the  wet  seasons  are  not  so  good,  but  all 
the  landscape  gardening  is  done  at  that  time  with  good  results. 
As  preventative  against  leaf-cutting  ants,  the  stanchions  are 
kept  saturated  with  crude  oil,  or  placed  in  vessels  filled  with  oil. 
The  experiments  and  results  are  varied  and  interesting.  The 
Nicaraguan  strawberry  plants  grow  to  good  size  and  are  culti- 
vated with  good  results.  The  berries  are  firm  and  sweet.  In 
these  gardens  could  be  seen  California  and  Florida  oranges, 
figs,  the  native  Ja"va  and  Malay  plums,  Muscadine  grapes, 
cucumbers,  sweet  potatoes,  beans,  native  spinach,  etc. 

There  are  several  thousand  tomato  plants,  in  which  there  are 
forty-five  of  the  American  best  varieties.  These  are  crossed 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  99 

with  native  varieties  in  experiment  to  obtain  a  plant  that  will 
yield  large  and  firm  fruit  which  possesses  resistance  to  mois- 
ture. The  crossings  and  processes  are  carefully  listed  and  reg- 
istered, and  the  plants  from  which  the  best  results  are  obtained 
will  be  cultivated.  Fresh  vegetables  are  secured  from  the  gar- 
dens for  the  Commission's  use. 

Experiments  are  being  conducted  with  the  native  egg  plant 
to  graft  the  American  variety.  Vanilla  is  also  experimented 
upon  and  native  specimens  are  sent  to  Porto  Rico  and  Florida 
for  experimental  purposes.  East  Indian  bamboo,  the  hat  palm, 
sisal  hemp,  eucalyptus  plant,  mango,  papaya,  avocado,  banana, 
mongostoon,  acalypha,  balsam  apples,  Florida  crepe,  myrtle, 
reseda  or  Dama  del  Noche,  a  native  flowering  bush,  which 
takes  its  name  from  its  strong  night  perfume,  are  all  culti- 
vated. The  sisal  hemp,  above  named,  is  a  native  of  Mexico, 
and  is  the  most  valuable  fibre  plant  in  existence. 

Roses  are  also  cultivated  in  the  gardens.  Some  of  the  best 
varieties  in  the  Zone  are  the  American  Beauty,  Killarney, 
Duchess  de  Brabant,  Franciska  Krueger,  Kaiserin  Augusta 
Victoria,  etc.  May  and  June  is  the  blooming  season  for  the 
roses  principally,  although  they  often  flower  throughout  the 
year.  The  Agricultural  Department  at  Washington  often  sends 
seeds  for  sowing  purposes  to  the  Zone  gardens,  and  exchanges 
are  often  made  with  other  government  stations. 

ROADS. 

Splendid  highways  have  been  built  at  different  points  by  the 
Commission.  A  road  is  being  constructed  between  Mount 
Hope  and  Gatun  by  convict  labor. 

DOCKS. 

The  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  has  decided  to  build  a  new 
dock  at  Cristobal,  across  the  arm  of  Limon  Bay,  which  is 
known  as  Folks  River.  This  structure  is  to  be  made  of  steel 
and  concrete  materials,  and  is  calculated  to  be  about  3,000  feet. 
The  estimated  cost  is  $500,000. 

DEPARTMENTS. 

On  the  Zone  you  will  find  the  Police  Court,  Local  District 
Court,  Circuit  Court  and  United  States  Court.  There  are  also 


100  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

jails  and  Convict  Camps  for  those  who  break  the  law.  People 
have  to  be  very  circumspect  on  the  Zone.  Nobody's  sins  are 
winked  at  on  the  Isthmus,  unless  probably  you  are  "way  up" 
in  the  official  circle.  And,  remember,  that  prisoners  have  no 
"flowery  beds  of  ease"  in  this  part  of  Uncle  Sam's  territory. 
They  are  well  fed  and  cared,  but  they  must  work,  work !  work ! 
— building  Government  roads..  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  work  in 
the  tropical  sun  when  the  thermometer  registers  from  95  to 
no  degrees.  There  are  many  lawyers  to  charge  you  a  large 
fee  for  any  legal  work  they  undertake  for  you ;  and  you  would 
be  glad  to  pay  them  the  fee  whatever  that  might  be  to  save  you 
from  jail  if  you  got  into  a  scrape.  The  conservative  judges 
are  distinguished  legal  lights  and  very  fair  minded  men.  The 
following  are  some  of  the  operative  departments  on  the  Canal 
Zone: 

Police  Department,  Fire  Department,  Electrical  and  Light 
Department,  Sanitary  Department,  Water  Department,  Com- 
missary Department,  Supply  and  Order  Department,  Storage 
Department,  Railroad  Department,  etc.  Each  employe,  in 
whatever  department  he  works,  is  furnished  with  a  brass 
check,  which  has  a  number  upon  it.  Each  person's  name  and 
check  number  must  be  written  in  the  office  book  of  the  depart- 
ment in  which  he  or  she  works.  If  you  lose  your  check  it  costs 
fifty  cents  gold  for  another  to  be  issued,  and  without  your 
check  you  cannot  receive  your  pay.  The  streets  and  houses  of 
Colon  and  Panama  are  brilliantly  illuminated  at  nights  now 
by  electric  lights.  Great  praise  is  due  to  the  Americans  for 
their  capacity  and  ingenuity,  for,  although  the  work  of  canal 
digging  on  such  stupendous  scale  is  perfectly  new  to  them,  yet 
every  detail  for  this  giant  enterprise  is  now  skillfully  mastered. 

The  trick  by  which  a  workman  or  laborer  could  draw  pay 
from  two  or  more  gangs  during  the  time  of  the  French  on  pay- 
days is  now  absolutely  impossible  to  be  practised  under  the 
present  check  system. 

THE  MAN  OF  THE  DAY. 

Colonel  George  W.  Goethals  is  the  Engineer  and  clever  ex- 
pert manager  through  whose  ingenious  mind  every  depart- 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  IOI 

ment  and  detail  of  this  mighty  work  has  been  perfected.  What 
General  U.  S.  Grant  was  to  the  Army  of  the  Civil  War,  Colonel 
Goethals  is  to  the  workers  of  the  Panama  Canal.  Modest  in 
demeanor,  unassuming  in  manner,  business-like  in  every  iota 
of  his  makeup,  frank  in  his  convictions,  broad  in  his  views,  just 
in  giving  credit  where  it  is  due  to  other  members  of  his  pro- 
fession, this  wonderful,  broad-shouldered  and  snow-white- 
haired  man  has  mastered  every  detail  of  this  mighty  under- 
taking, and  stands  at  the  top  of  America's  Greatest  Enterprise ! 
Creditable  mention  might  be  made  of  Mr.  Hiram  J.  Slifer, 
manager  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Company  on  the  Isthmus; 
Engineer  Stevens,  Magoon,  Blackburn,  Tuby,  Major  Sibert, 
Gilliard,  Smith,  Harrod,  and  others ;  but  suffice  it  to  say  that 
not  only  the  heads  of  the  departments,  who  are  working  day 
and  night  with  unflaging  zeal  and  energy,  but  every  American 
employed  on  the  Isthmus  is  deeply  interested  in  the  success  of 
the  Canal.  All  the  workers  are  hoping  and  praying  to  be 
spared  to  see  the  completion  and  opening  of  this  mighty  ditch, 
which  will  alter  the  geography  of  the  world,  unite  the  two 
largest  oceans,  enhance  commercial  enterprises,  enlarge  the 
scope  for  trade,  develop  the  resources  of  our  country  as  never 
before  and  add  new  luster  to  the  name  and  reputation  of  the 
great  American  Nation.  Thus  with  the  gladdened  Panaman- 
ians we  might  exclaim — Viva  los  hombres !  Viva  los  Amer- 
icanos ! ! 

AX    IDEA   SATISFIED. 

The  Canal  Commission  has  the  power  ana  authority  to  lay 
out  towns  on  the  Canal  Zone.  In  the  settlements  along  the  Line 
where  new  towns  are  laid  out,  the  white  people  are  separated 
to  live  on  one  side,  and  the  colored  people  on  the  other  as  is 
done  in  Cristobal,  Gatun,  Empire  and  other  places. 

However  zealous  the  white  advocate  of  equal  rights  and 
equal  justice  might  be,  he  or  she  does  not  relish  the  idea,  nor 
is  very  anxious  to  live  next  door  to  colored  people.  In  some 
sections  of  the  South  efforts  have  been  made  to  legally  restrict 
colored  people  from  owning  property  in  certain  sections  of  a 
community.  As  a  matter  of  fact  a  colored  person  can  pur- 


IO2  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

chase  a  home  in  the  most  fashionable  part  of  most  communities, 
even  in  the  South,  although,  at  times,  a  great  deal  of  unpleas- 
antness is  experienced  by  the  buyer.  White  property  owners 
are  fearful  that  their  property  would  decrease  in  value  if  the 
house  next  door  is  owned  by  a  colored  family. 

This  fear  is  dissipated  on  the  Canal  Zone.  The  Commission 
can  say  to  any  colored  man,  "Thus  far  shall  you  come,  but  no 
farther!"  The  white  people  live  in  separate -sections  by  them- 
selves without  any  fear  of  being  molested,  just  as  they  would 
like  to  have  it. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SOME  CAUSTIC  AND  SEVERE  ARRAIGNMENTS  ON  THE  AMERICANS 
BY  WEST  INDIANS  AND  PANAMANIANS,  IN  WHICH  PREFER- 
ENCE IS  EXPRESSED  FOR  THE  BRITISH  POLICY  TOWARD  COL- 
ORED PEOPLE. 

"Sir,"  said  the  speaker  of  a  representative  party  of  Pana- 
manians and  West  Indians,  "of  the  two  great  nations  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  family,  we  prefer  the  British  people  and  their 
policy.  You  speak  highly  of  the  Americans,  and  no  one  can 
gainsay  the  fact  that  they  are  a  great  people ;  but  from  what 
we  have  seen,  read  and  heard  of  them,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  us  to  like  them ;  and  their  only  redeeming  features  are  their 
progressive  spirit  and  action,  the  apparent  respect  and  polite- 
ness they  show  their  women,  and  the  better  wages  they  pay  for 
labor.  The  reasons  for  our  dislike  and  preference  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

"First :  The  stand  the  Americans  have  taken  on  the  race  or 
color  question  is  iniquitous.  They  harp  too  much  on  race 
inferiority;  they  point  the  ringer  too  often  and  readily  at  the 
darker  races;  they  delight  too  much  in  magnifying  the  failures 
and  weaknesses  of  the  colored  race,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
minimize  his  virtues ;  they  speak  too  much  of  their  virtues  and 
talents  and  superiority,  while  they  are  adepts  in  concealing 
their  sins.  To  some  Americans  colored  people  have  no  virtues 
at  all. 

"We  do  not  boast  nor  are  we  high  up  in  the  zenith  of  great- 
ness, but  with  us  jimcrowism  would  be  a  stigma  on  our  civil- 
ization, a  dark  spot  on  our  progress  and  reproach  on  our 
Christianity.  Their  painful  cry  of  social  equality  is  meaning- 
less and  ridiculous;  their  great  effort  for  the  segregation  of 
the  races  would  not  have  been  so  bad,  but  for  the  fact  that  it  is 
practised  to  humiliate  the  darker  race  only  where  there  is  no 
chance  to  lose  trade  and  the  Almighty  Dollar.  They  ostracized 
the  whole  colored  race  and  cast  aspersions  upon  the  innocent 


IO6  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

and  guilty  alike  for  the  misdemeanor  of  one  member.  And 
where  such  race  antipathy  abounds,  love  and  concord  can  never 
be  cemented. 

''Second:  It  seems  to  us  that  your  American  people  enact 
laws  only  to  break  them ;  they  make  declarations  in  words,  then 
render  them  void  in  deeds.  Who  else  but  Americans  could  so 
eloquently  say,  'God  has  created  all  men  equal,  and  has  en- 
dowed them  with  certain  inalienable  rights ;  among  these  are 
life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.'  This  unique  and 
solemn  clause  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  is  in  thor- 
ough accord  with  the  scripture  which  says :  'God  has  made  of 
one  blood  all  nations  of  men  to  dwell  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth.'  Yet  these  very  people's  actions  show  that  they  did  not 
mean  'all  men'  were  to  enjoy  'life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness,'  but  that  they  meant  'white  men.'  As  for  the  'in- 
alienable rights,'  that  is  a  meaningless  delusion,  and  can  only 
mean  'white  men's  rights.'  And  have  they  not  done  everything 
possible  by  y,he  Grandfather's  Clause  and  other  legal  enact- 
ments of  'color  law'  in  disguise  to  bring  to  naught  their  own 
solemn  declaration?  Are  not  these  'Grandfather's  laws'  in- 
tended to  deprive  their  colored  fellow-citizens  of  their  political 
rights  ? 

"But  not  contented  with  legal  enactments  alone  to  deprive 
the  colored  brother  of  his  rights,  they  often  drove  him  from 
his  home,  and  at  times  rob  him  of  that  which  is  dearest  and 
sweetest  to  all  mankind — life. 

"Their  Christianity  is  like  copper  plated  with  gold,  which 
does  not  need  much  wear  to  reveal  the  true  metal  covered 
beneath  when  it  comes  to  the  color  question.  And  as  the  adage 
says,  'silence  gives  consent,'  then  it  is  feasible  to  conclude  that 
the  pulpit  sanctions  the  race  hate  from  the  fact  that  not  an 
American  white  preacher  will  raise  his  voice  against  the  evil 
of  race  hate  from  the  pulpit;  at  least,  I  have  never  seen  it  in 
print.  We  do  not  believe  there  is  a  white  American  who  knows 
and  practises  the  meaning  of  the  scripture  injunction,  'Do  unto 
others  as  you  would  have  them  do  to  you,'  when  it  comes  to 
the  race  question.  So  far  as  we  down  here  have  ever  read  or 
heard.  Cardinal  James  Gibbons  is  the  only  American  prelate 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  IO/ 

who  has  ever  spoken  as  a  minister  ought  to  do  in  an  effort  to 
rid  the  white  Americans  of  that  deep  seated  hate  they  have  for 
their  colored  fellow-citizens.  In  an  article  written  by  the  Car- 
dinal, which  appeared  in  the  North  American  Review,  some 
time  past,  he  said : 

"  'In  the  lower  counties  of  Maryland  the  white  and  the  black 
populations  are  nearly  equally  divided,  and  the  great  majority 
of  both  races  profess  the  Catholic  religion.  I  have  had  fre- 
quent occasions  to  visit  these  counties  in  the  exercise  of  the 
sacred  ministry.  Before  divine  services  began  I  have  been 
delighted  to  observe  the  whites  and  the  blacks  assemble  to- 
gether in  the  church  grounds  and  engage  in  friendly  and  famil- 
iar conversation.  Then  they  repaired  to  the  church,  worship- 
ping under  the  same  roof,  kneeling  before  the  same  altar,  re- 
ceiving the  same  sacrament  at  the  same  railing,  and  listening 
to  the  words  of  the  same  Gospel. 

"  'This  equal  participation  in  spiritual  gifts  and  privileges 
has  fostered  the  feeling  of  good  will  and  benevolence  which  no 
human  legislation  could  accomplish.  I  never  witnessed  any- 
where else  the  white  race  so  kind  and  considerate  to  the  col- 
ored, nor  the  colored  race  so  respectful  and  deferential  to  the 
white ;  for  there  was  no  attempt  in  these  weekly  gatherings 
to  level  the  existing  social  distinctions.  As  far  as  my  memory 
serves  me,  the  records  of  these  two  counties  have  never  been 
stained  by  a  single  instance  of  an  outrage  and  a  lynching/ 

"We  believe  that  that  form  is  the  only  true  way  to  worship 
God,  but  how  many  other  preachers  can  give  similar  testi- 
mony ?  The  idea  that  a  person  cannot  go  into  a  church  to  wor- 
ship God  simply  because  he  is  not  white  is  a  peculiar  religion 
that  no  one  cares  to  embrace  or  enjoy  outside  the  Americans 
themselves. 

"These  are  the  people  who  sent  soldiers  to  Cuba,  and  war- 
ships and  marines  to  Panama  to  enforce  fair  elections  at  the 
polls  ;  yet  their  elections  in  New  York  show  a  worse  state  of 
corruption  than  Cuba  and  Panama  combined,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  vast  South,  where  the  'Grandfather's  Clause'  and  other 
restrictions  are  common.  If  we  had  the  say,  we  would  have 
replied  to  their  proposal  for  intervention  by  this  reply,  'Physi- 
cian, heal  yourself !' 


IO8  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"And  if  any  of  these  small  Republics  had  the  one  hundredth 
part  of  the  race  clashes  found  in  the  United  States,  these 
Americans  would  be  the  first  to  point  the  finger  and  say,  'Look 
there!  those  people  are  incapable  of  governing  themselves! 
Let  us  intervene !' 

"Why,  is  'consistency  ever  a  jewel'  with  them?  Among  the 
British  and  Panamanians  a  man  is  not  ostracized  on  account 
of  his  color?  They  treat  a  man  more  on  his  worth  or  the  merit 
system  rather  than  on  the  skin  system.  Our  law  is  law  and  is 
seldom  if  ever  interpreted  to  suit  the  color  of  the  client  or 
prisoner.  And  since  God  in  His  wisdom  created  variety  of 
colors  in  the  three  kingdoms  of  nature,  and  different  shades 
in  the  same  specie,  then  to  us  it  is  logical  to  conclude  that  He 
intended  also  a  diversity  of  color  in  the  human  family.  Take 
the  lower  order  of  the  animal  creation  and  the  same  changes 
in  color  will  be  noticed.  Why  should  it  not  be  the  case  among 
mankind  ? 

"We  do  not  claim  perfection  for  the  English  people,  but  no- 
where can  it  be  shown  that  they  give  ten  months'  schooling  to 
the  white  children  and  only  three  or  four  months  to  the  colored 
children  in  the  same  community.  They  do  not  strive  to  put  ob- 
stacles in  the  weaker  people's  way,  then  gloat  afterward  of 
superior  ability.  The  Americans  remind  me  very  much  of  this 
story  I  read :  'A  wolf  and  lamb  chanced  to  drink  water  at  the 
same  spring  one  day.  It  happened  that  the  wolf  was  at  the 
upper  part  of  the  stream,  while  the  lamb  was  at  the  lower, 
hence  the  water  flowed  from  the  wolf  to  the  lamb.  After 
drinking,  the  wolf  said  to  himself,  'Now  I  must  start  a  quarrel 
with  this  lamb,  so  as  to  eat  him.'  He  then  looked  at  the  lamb 
and  blazed  out,  'Say !  you  mud  the  water  I  am  drinking!' 

"  'No,  sir,'  replied  the  humble  lamb,  'the  water  flows  from 
you  to  me,  therefore  you  can  muddy  it  for  me,  but  I  cannot 
for  you.'  'That  might  be  true,  too,'  said  the  wolf,  'but  a  week 
ago  your  mother  sent  the  dogs  to  hunt  and  molest  me !'  'Par- 
don me,  sir,'  replied  the  lamb,  'my  poor  mother  died  when  I 
was  a  week  old,  and  I  am  now  fifteen  months  old,  hence  she 
could  not  have  sent  the  dogs  at  you  last  week.'  'Dead  or  not !' 
said  the  wolf  in  a  rage,  'your  breed  hates  me,  anyhow,  and  I 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  IC«9 

am  going-  to  revenge  it!'  He  then  ran  upon  the  poor  defence- 
less lamb  and  eat  him  up. 

"In  that  controversy  the  lamb's  force  of  argument  did  not 
avail  anything.  It  was  mere  selfish  strength  and  power  against 
innocent  weakness.  And  I  am  bound  to  confess,  from  what 
I  heard  and  saw  of  these  Americans  down  here,  that  the  story 
of  the  wolf  and  the  lamb  represents  the  relation  and  true  situa- 
tion of  the  white  and  colored  races  in  America.  These  are  our 
reasons  for  our  position.  It  is  a  cause  of  wonder  to  us  how 
any  intelligent  colored  man  could  really  speak  in  praise  of  a 
people  like  those  unless  he  talks  simply  to  be  heard  or  from  a 
patriotic  viewpoint."  The  speaker  sat. 

"Gentlemen.'*  said  I,  "indeed  I  am  glad  that  your  speaker 
has  expressed  himself  frankly.  I  enjoyed  listening  to  his  caus- 
tic lashings  and  interesting  arraignments  which  he  felt  dis- 
posed to  heap  upon  our  white  fellow  citizens.  From  the  fact 
that  he  has  prepared  his  paper,  I  shall  ask  him  kindly  to  loan 
me  the  copy.  I  shall  prepare  a  reply  for  next  Friday  evening." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  great  majority  of  the  Pan- 
amanians are  dark  in  color,  and  their  feelings  and  sentiments 
are  very  well  expressed  in  what  is  said  above. 


IIO      •  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


The  New  Wooden  Pier  at  L,a  Boca,  on  the  Pacific,  800  feet  long. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  DEFENSE  OR  REPLY  TO  CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Speaker's  Error — Origin  of  the  Cry  of  Racial  Inferior- 
ity— Race-Tree  Proves  the  Cry  to  Be  Unfounded — 
Egyptian  Ideas  Common  Now — How  They  Excelled 
in  Various  Arts — Their  Glory  Waned  Like  That  of 
Other  Peoples — Signs  in  the  Present  Branch — Com- 
parison of  White  and  Black  Races  as  Slaves — Deter- 
rent Effects  of  the  Cry  of  Racial  Inferiority — Negro 
Progress  in  41  Years  Under  Anglo-Americans — Truly 
Great  Colored  General — White  American  Acknowl- 
edges Negro's  Greatness — Complete  Separation  of  Both 
Races  Advocated — Duty  of  the  Favored  Race. 

The  following  Friday  evening,  at  the  appointed  time,  I 
rose  and  said :  "My  friends,  I  am  glad  to  see  so  many  pres- 
ent to  listen  to  my  defense. 

THE  SPEAKER'S  ERROR. 

"It  is  well-nigh  impossible  for  any  stranger,  especially 
one  who  is  not  familiar  with  Republican  forms  of  govern- 
ment, to  fully  understand  by  rumor  or  reading  the  real  liv- 
ing relations  and  conditions  of  the  white  and  black  races 
as  they  exist  in  the  United  States  of  America,  without  going 
there  in  person  to  study  the  situation  on  the  spot. 

"When  it  comes  to  the  race  question,  I  must  and  will  ad- 
mit that  the  Anglo-Americans  on  the  whole  are  boastful, 
and  many  of  them  scornful,  on  that  topic.  But  let  me  in- 
form you,  gentlemen,  that  your  speaker  made  a  grave  error 
last  Friday  evening  when,  in  his  paper,  lie  made  'white 
Americans  generally  responsible  for  the  race  evils  as  they 
exist  in  the  United  States.'  While  the  wrong  committed  on 
the  colored  race  is  the  act  of  'white  Americans/  yet  the  ac- 
tion is  confined  to  a  certain  class  and  party  of  them.  Jim- 


112  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAI 

crow  laws  are  introduced  in  many  State  Legislatures  by 
party  politicians ;  for  be  it  remembered,  each  state  makes  its 
own  laws  for  the  government  of  the  people  of  that  particu- 
lar state.  The  grandfather's  clause  and  other  restrictions 
for  the  disfranchisement  of  colored  people  are  the  products 
of  party  politicians,  who  usually  raised  an  alarming  cry  and 
sounded  a  bugle  of  approaching  danger,  not  that  any  real 
cause  exists  for  such  warnings,  but  those  shrewd  politicians 
know  that  if  they  set  up  a  fearful  howl  on  the  supposed 
'fear  of  Negro  domination,'  they  would  awaken  sympathy 
among  a  certain  element  of  their  race,  and  thus  secure  more 
votes  for  their  party.  It  is  a  vote-getting  cry  which  is  sel- 
dom ever  heard  until  the  approach  of  an  election.  The  vast 
majority  of  white  Americans  are  as  adverse  to  the  race  evils 
in  the  States  as  you  are  now. 

ORIGIN    OF   THE   CRY   OF   RACIAL    INFERIORITY. 

"Careful  investigation  discloses  the  fact  that  the  Cutis 
Vera  theory,  or  the  cry  of  racial  inferiority,  emanated  from 
a  source  in  which  the  oppressors  of  the  colored  race  took 
refuge  for  making  themselves  justifiable  in  retaining  their 
fellow-men  in  the  bondage  of  slavery.  From  that  innate  es- 
sence, known  as  moral  accountability,  which  is  placed  in  all 
mankind  by  God,  the  white  man  knew  that  he  was  doing 
wrong  in  the  traffic  of  human  flesh  and  blood.  He  knew  it 
was  a  heinous  evil  in  the  sight  of  God.  But  the  white  man 
was  always  a  lover  of  money.  He  was  always  fond  of  gold, 
and  a  plenty  of  it;  hence  he  was  unwilling  to  lose  the  great 
gain  and  wealth  which  accrued  from  holding  slaves.  And 
to  justify  himself  and  satisfy  his  troubled  conscience,  he 
formulated  the  pernicious  theory  of  'racial  inferiority.' 

"Thus  he  reasoned :  'The  Negro  race  is  not  equal  to  the 
Caucasian  race  by  any  means,  hence  that  race  is  inferior. 
That  being  the  case,  we,  the  Caucasian  or  white  race,  would, 
of  course,  be  perfectly  justified  in  governing  an  inferior  race 
and  retaining  its  members  as  slaves.'  In  this  way  the  erro- 
neous theory  was  established  and  kept  up  to  kill  conscience. 
But,  my  friends,  let  it  be  remembered  that  this  theory  orig- 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  113 

inated  with  the  British  and  Dutch,  and  not  with  the  Ameri- 
cans, who,  though  clinging  to  the  theory  with  their  charac- 
teristic zeal,  and  upholding  the  traditions  of  their  proud  an- 
cestors with  more  fervor,  yet  they  are  not  responsible  for 
the  baneful  theory. 

"Nor  is  the  belief  confined  to  the  Anglo-American  alone 
that  the  colored  race  is  inferior  to  the  white  race.  It  is  a 
universal  belief.  The  Color  Trust  is  the  most  gigantic  in 
the  known  world.  Every  Caucasian  owns  stocks  and  shares 
in  the  Color  Trust  Company,  irrespective  of  his  nationality 
or  place  of  residence,  and  any  colored  man  who  does  not 
know  that  fact  to  be  true  should  be  awakened  out  of  his 
sleep,  as  he  has  been  slumbering  away  his  valuable  mo- 
ments. On  this  race  question  the  Anglo-American  makes 
it  known  that  he  owns  stock  in  the  Color  Trust  Company. 
He  does  not  play  the  hypocrite,  but  he  makes  his  position 
known,  and  'open  confession  is  good  for  the  soul.'  His  out- 
spoken frankness  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the 
people  of  color  with  whom  he  had  to  do,  as  I  shall  demon- 
strate. But  let  me  be  general  at  present  on  the  subject  of 
the  race. 

"If  an  instructor  were  employed  to  teach  the  botany  of  a 
tree  to  a  class  of  pupils,  he  would,  or  at  least  should,  explain 
the  entire  structural  parts  of  the  tree,  from  its  roots  to  its 
leaves.  Would  it  not  be  worse  than  folly  for  him  to  select 
only  the  two  withered  branches,  which  were  previously 
struck  by  lightning  and  injured?  Those  withered  branches 
wrould  not  contain  the  same  substance  in  their  natural  form 
as  the  living  portion  of  the  tree.  The  protoplasm  would  be 
dried  and  its  activity  cease.  Certain  chemical  changes  have 
taken  place,  hence  the  branches  are  sapless  and  leafless. 
What  we  wish  is  the  botanical  explanation  of  the  whole 
tree. 

"So  should  it  be,  my  friends,  in  dealing  with  this  mon- 
strous tree-issue  of  the  race  question.  Then  let  us  not  con- 
fine ourselves  only  to  the  two  injured  branches  of  this  race- 
tree.  Let  us  not  circumscribe  our  investigations  to  the  nar- 
row limits  alone  of  the  few  members  of  the  race  whom  our 


114  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

white  Dutch  and  English  friends  stole  and  brought  to  the 
Western  Hemisphere  as  slaves.  They  were  the  beginners 
of  the  slave  trade,  and  the  victims  whom  they  beguiled  must 
be  compared  only  as  the  injured  branches  of  the  whole  race- 
tree. 

THE  TREE-ROOT  OF  THE  RACE  PROVES  RACIAL  SUPERIORITY  AND 
BRANDS  AS  FARCE  THE  UNFOUNDED  THEORY  OF  RACIAL 
INFERIORITY. 

"The  past  greatness  of  the  Hamitic  race  can  never  be 
doubted.  Egypt  furnished  more  wonders  than  all  the  other 
countries  of  the  world  combined.  The  Hamites,  who  were 
the  direct  ancestors  of  the  colored  race,  held  the  Shemites 
in  bondage,  and  prior  to  that  time  Nimrod,  a  member  of  the 
same  Hamitic  family,  ruled  all  other  peoples  of  his  day. 
Egypt  was  the  cradle  of  our  present  civilization,  but  Egyp- 
tian civilization  was  by  far  superior  to  ours  in  excellence. 
Solomon  says  in  Holy  Writ:  'There  is  nothing  new  under 
the  sun/  and  this  declaration  is  especially  true  when  we 
compare,  our  present-day  so-called  'discoveries'  with  the 
original  inventions  of  the  Africans.  Did  they  not  ride  ;n 
horseless  war  chariots  and  carriages?  Yes ;  and  the  modern 
people  call  the  same  chariots  'automobiles'  today.  Do  you 
know  that  the  civil  service  system  was  introduced  4,500 
years  before  Christ  was  born,  during  the  reign  of  Menes? 
And  wasn't  it  only  a  few  years  ago  the  proud  Britons 
adopted  it,  and  subsequently  the  boastful  Americans  also 
adopted  it?  Why,  to  be  sure.  And  do  not  forget  that  they 
called  it  'new'  when  they  adopted  it.  Do  you  know  that  the 
phonograph  was  invented  and  used  by  the  Egyptians  2,000 
years  B.  C.?  But  when  Thomas  Edison  perfected  his  ma- 
chine, less  than  a  score  years  ago,  he  called  it  a  'new  dis- 
covery.' 

"Artificial  eyes  were  first  made  use  of  by  the  Egyptians ;  they 
were  of  gold  and  silver  and  subsequently  of  copper  and  ivory. 
Hundreds  of  years  later,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  when  they 
were  made  in  Europe,  porcelain  was  the  substance  used." 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  115 

"Do  you  know  that  the  Egyptian  alphabet  stands  today 
as  the  only  scientific  method  representing  human  speech? 
Do  you  know  that  wireless  telegraphy  was  a  perfected  art 
among  the  Egyptians  hundreds  of  years  before  the  Chris- 
tian era?  Well,  so  it  was.  And  if  you  doubt  these  asser- 
tions read  the  recent  works  of  the  greatest  living  Egyptolo- 
gist, Professor  Maspero,  of  England.  But  if  you  ask  any 
schoolboy  today  who  invented  wireless  telegraphy,  he  will 
tell  you  'Marconi/  Did  you  know  that  the  Egyptians  were 
the  original  inventors  of  the  banjo  and  many  other  musical 
instruments,  and  that  they  excelled  all  other  peoples  in  the 
art  of  music?  Well,  it  was  so.  The  Egyptians  were  the 
first  people  to  build  a  ship.  And  do  you  know  they  circum- 
navigated Africa  and  made  several  voyages  to  India  and 
other  parts  of  the  Orient?  Do  you  know  that  the  Egyp- 
tians were  the  greatest  scientists  in  occult  arts,  and  that 
they  spoke  through  animals,  wood  or  other  .objects  and 
practised  the  identical  art  known  today  as  ventriloquism? 
Do  you  know  they  were  the  original  inventors  of  the  plough 
and  the  hoe?  Well,  it  was  so. 

"But,  my  friends,  you  might  say  that  the  knowledge  the 
people  have  today  is  fostered  and  promoted  upon  their 
knowledge  of  Christianity.  Yet,  about  the  ten  command- 
ments, which  the  whole  civilized  world  observes,  Robert 
Ingersoll,  a  distinguished  jurist,  said:  'The  ten  command- 
ments were  not  the  product  of  Moses  at  all,  because  he  took 
Egyptian  law  as  model.  It  has  been  contended  fo1  many 
years  that  the  commandments  are  the  foundation  of  all  ideas 
of  justice  and  law.  Eminent  jurists  have  bowed  to  popular 
prejudice  and  deformed  their  works  by  statements  to  the 
effect  that  the  Mosaic  laws  are  the  fountains  from  which 
sprang  all  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  Nothing  can  be  more 
stupidly  false  than  such  assertions.  Thousands  of  years  be- 
fore Moses  was  born  the  Egyptians  had  a  code  of  laws.  They 
had  laws  against  blasphemy,  murder,  perjury,  adultery, 
larceny,  laws  for  the  collection  of  debts  and  the  enforce- 
ment of  contracts.'  I  did  not  quote  from  this  author  to  de- 
tract from  the  Bible,  but  to  support  my  claim  and  conten- 


Il6  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

tion  that  the  ancestors  of  the  now  despised  colored  race  fur- 
nished the  sample  of  moral  laws  by  which  the  people  of  to- 
day are  guided. 

"But  is  that  all  the  Egyptians  did?  No!  They  had  se- 
crets about  which  neither  the  proud  Briton  nor  the  self- 
sufficient  American  knows  anything.  Which  of  the  two  na- 
tions knows  anything  about  the  science  of  personal  disinte- 
gration? The  Egyptians  taught  this  science  in  their  higher 
institutions  of  learning.  Where  is  the  American  or  English 
embalmer  who  knows  the  formula  by  which  the  Egyptian 
dead  could  be  kept  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation  for 
more  than  6,000  years  ?  Neither  England,  America  nor  any 
other  modern  nation  can  embalm  a  dead  body  that  will  be 
kept  well  preserved  for  a  century.  Where  are  the  Caucasian 
architects  who  can  build  a  structure  like  the  Egyptian  mon- 
uments, to  stand  unaltered  after  four  thousand  years?  Do 
these  products  of  the  Egyptians  show  racial  'superiority'  or 
racial  'inferiority'? 

"Go,  if  you  will,  to  the  land  of  the  Negro's  forefathers, 
and  look  upon  the  obelisks,  sphinxes,  colossal  statues, 
stately  temples  and  tombs  cut  in  the  rocks  of  ancient 
villages !  Take  your  learned  men  and  scholars  to  Memphis, 
Thebes,  Karmak,  Luxor  and  other  places  in  Africa,  and  ask 
them  to  decipher  the  inscriptions  and  engravings  chiseled  on 
stones  and  rocks  in  the  most  perfect  manner!  They  would 
be  like  the  elephants  trying  to  study  astronomy.  Look  at 
those  huge  and  giant  pyramids !  Are  they  not  speaking 
with  their  silent  tongues  of  the  matchless  and  unexcelled 
greatness  of  their  builders?  Gaze  at  that  great  and  mighty 
pyramid  built  for  King  Cheops,  which  covers  an  area  of 
twelve  acres  at  its  base,  693  feet  on  the  sides  and  543  feet 
in  height !  It  does  not  appear  now  as  if  a  volcano  could 
shake  it  down!  Yet  I  have  known  houses  erected  by  mod- 
ern-day white  contractors  which  had  to  be  repaired  before 
the  lapse  of  one  year.  Where  is  there  room  for  the  blatant 
boast  of  the  Caucasian?  Can  his  achievements  in  any  way 
be  compared  with  those  of  the  Egyptians?  The  heads  of 
our  present-day  engineers  would  become  bald  and  their  hair 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  117 

changed  to  cotton  whiteness  if  they  were  to  puzzle  their 
brains  in  an  effort  to  devise  plans  to  elevate  those  massive 
blocks  of  stones  to  their  lofty  heights  in  the  pyramids.  Some 
of  those  stones  used  in  the  mighty  pyramids  were  30  feet 
long,  4  broad  and  3  thick.  Then  there  were  208  layers  of 
stones.  But  let  us  hear  from  the  mouths  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxons  themselves  respecting  Africa's  greatness.  'Before 
England  was  a  monarchy,  and  while  the  Heptachy  was  still 
a  troublesome  fact,  there  existed  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
Soudan,  the  country  of  the  blacks,  several  large  and  well- 
ordered  Negro  states,  which  had  developed  ingeniously  a 
comparatively  high  condition  of  civilization.  Some  of  these 
attained  vast  proportions.  One,  for  instance,  that  of  Song- 
hay,  was  nearly  half  the  size  of  Europe,  stretching  from 
the  Atlantic  to  Sokoto,  and  from  Borgu  to  Morocco.  The 
Empire  of  Borgu  was  also  very  nearly  as  large.  But  now 
very  little  remains  of  these  ancient  glories.' — London  Bap- 
tist Times. 

"Then,  again,  Dr.  Kerry  says  in  his  Cushite :  'By  a  careful 
study  of  ancient  literature  and  archaeology  the  logical  con- 
clusion reached  is  that  the  ancient  Cushites  were  the  world's 
magnates  and  the  world's  schoolmasters.  Those  of  Ethiopia 
taught  art,  science  and  theology  to  the  Egyptians,  and  the 
Egyptians  to  the  Eastern  nations  and  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans. The  intellectual  sun  of  the  Ethiopians  had  already 
reached  its  zenith  before  that  of  Greece  and  Rome  had  risen 
above  the  horizon.' 

EGYPTIAN    IDEAS    UNIVERSALLY    PREVALENT    NOW. 

'There  is  not  a  single  individual  living  today  of  the  Eng- 
lish-speaking world  who  has  not  some  Egyptian  belief  cling- 
ing to  him.  The  African  astrologers  were  the  most  wonder- 
ful the  world  has  ever  produced.  Egyptian  students  were 
the  constant  companions  of  the  planets,  but  they  did  not 
study  to  tell  the  distances  of  those  heavenly  bodies  on  the 
parrot  order,  as  we  do  today,  but  rather  to  know  the  'signs 
of  the  times'  by  which  they  could  tell  and  do  'wonderful 
things.'  Their  astrological  'Lucky  and  Unlucky  Days,  Wed- 


Il8  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

ding  Days  and  Months,  Black  Apparel  and  Crape  for 
Mourning"  are  practised  more  or  less  by  all  of  us  today. 
In  this  respect  the  Africans  have  both  the  educated  and  ig- 
norant people  of  our  day  on  the  same  level.  Do  you  ask  in 
what  way?  Is  it  not  remarkable  that  among  the  36  sover- 
eigns that  sat  on  the  English  throne,  from  William  the  Con- 
queror to  King  Edward  VII.,  there  was  never  an  accession 
in  May,  though  each  of  the  remaining  eleven  months  wit- 
nessed one  or  more?  The  fact  is  due  to  the  traditional  belief 
which  came  down  to  us  from  the  astrologers  of  Africa,  that 
May  is  an  unlucky  month  for  the  transaction  of  any  impor- 
tant business.  The  experience  of  ages  proved  what  the 
Egyptians  said  to  be  correct.  Thus  we  have  the  little  ditty, 
'Marriage  in  May  will  soon  fade  away.' 

"And  why  do  the  most  aristocratic  families  practise 
throwing  rice,  old  shoes,  etc.,  at  a  newly-married  couple? 
Have  not  the  proud  Anglo-Saxons  this  to  say  the  bride 
should  wear : 

"Something  old  and  something  new, 
Something  borrowed  and  something  blue, 
And  an  English  sixpence  in  her  shoe?" 

"And  was  it  not  from  Egyptian  knowledge  of  the  'signs  of 
the  times'  we  are  told  that,  in  choosing  the  wedding  day, 
let  it  be  remembered  that : 

"Monday  for  health, 
Tuesday  for  wealth, 
Wednesday  the  best  day  of  all  ; 
Thursday  for  losses, 
Friday  for  crosses, 
Saturday  no  day  at  all"? 

''I  refer  to  these  things  to  show  how  we  indulge  in  fads 
that  came  to  us  direct  from  the  Africans.  And  have  you 
ever  read  of  how  the  Egyptian  lass  got  rid  of  an  objection- 
able suitor?  She  would  step  on  his  corn.  If  he  had  none, 
she  would  step  on  his  feet,  ridicule  those  he  resembled,  ask 
him  for  things  he  could  not  afford  to  give ;  she  would  never 
laugh  when  he  laughed,  would  find  fault  with  his  plans,  in- 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  1 19 

terrupt  him  if  he  tries  to  tell  a  story,  groan  if  he  tries  to 
sing,  underrate  his  friends,  and  turned  her  head  away  if  he 
offered  to  kiss  her.  He  soon  ceased  coming. 

HOW  THEY  EXCELLED  IN  THE  VARIOUS  BRANCHES  OF  ART. 

"The  Egyptians  did  not  send  their  children  in  a  helter- 
skelter  manner  to  learn  any  trade  or  study  any  art,  but 
guided  by  their  profound  astrological  knowledge,  they  knew 
that  each  child  had  a  particular  adaptability,  according  to 
the  constellation  under  which  he  was  born.  Thus,  a  male 
child  who  was  born  under  the  planet  Saturn,  according  to 
the  face  of  the  heavens  at  the  moment  of  his  birth,  would  be 
sent  to  pursue  a  course  in  the  higher  branches  of  learning, 
and  judges  wrere  selected  from  this  class  of  men  because 
'they  would  be  wise  and  profound  in  thought  and  counsel.' 

"They  would  select  their  generals  for  armies  from  men 
who  were  born  under  the  planet  Venus,  because  'they  would 
be  successful  in  leadng  large  armies ;'  their  business  men 
were  selected  from  persons  who  were  born  under  the  sisrn 
Cancer  and  Sagittarius,  because  'they  would  be  fortunate  in 
business/  etc.  On  this  principle  the  man  most  naturally 
adapted  for  a  particular  work  would  be  placed  to  do  that 
work.  Do  you  wonder  that  they  had  the  best  embalmers, 
engineers,  musicians,  astrologers,  carpenters,  masons,  archi- 
tects, teachers,  sculptors,  engravers,  designers  and  skilled 
workmen?  And  when  you  hear  of  the  science  of  clairvoy- 
ance, then  remember  that  the  Egyptians  could  do  anything 
along  that  line.  Moses  was  sent  from  God  clothed  with 
special  power  and  authority  to  work  miracles  and  do  won- 
ders, but  he  found  that  the  magicians  of  Egypt  were  able 
to  keep  up  with  him.  They  did  all,  or  nearly  all,  that  Moses 
did,  although  they  had  no  knowledge  of  the  true  God.  But 
read  Job,  3/th  chapter  and  verse  7.  By  that  passage  were 
not  the  Egyptians  correct  in  their  methods? 

THEIR  GLORY,   MIGHT  AND  POWER  WANED  LIKE  OTHER  PEOPLE'S. 

"In  the  natural  course  of  events  nations  rise  and  fall. 
Where  is  Babylon,  Assyria,  Greece,  Rome,  Carthage  and 


120  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

C 

other  mighty  empires?  Did  the  light  of  the  Egyptians  go 
out  because  they  were  incapable  of  perpetuating  it?  Why, 
then,  did  the  subsequent  nations  and  peoples  sink  also  into 
oblivion?  Where  are  the  proud  Romans  and  the  learned 
and  classical  Greeks?  Did  they  not  rise  in  the  drama  of  na- 
tions like  the  Egyptians,  and  eventually  vacate  as  another 
nation  stepped  to  the  front  rank?  So  they  did.  And  this 
change  of  positions  in  the  nations  will  continue  as  long  as 
time  lasts.  If  these  proud  Anglo-Saxon  families  think  they 
are  always  going  to  hold  the  front  rank,  as  they  have  it  now, 
they  are  sadly  mistaken. 

LIVING  SIGNS  OF  THE  PRESENT   NEGROES*   INHERENT  GREATNESS. 

''There  are  abundant  evidences  on  every  side  today  of  the 
inherent  greatness  of  the  colored  race.  And  whence  could 
it  come  but  by  hereditary  transmission  from  their  Egyptian 
ancestors? 

"The  lightening  greed  of  the  Caucasians  for  gain  and  gold 
caused  them  to  injure  some  of  the  branches  of  the  race-tree 
referred  to  above.  Snatched  from  their  fatherland  by  force 
and  other  ingenious  devices  of  the  white  race,  members  of 
the  African  race  were  brought  to  the  New  World  and  sold 
throughout  the  Wrest  Indian  Islands  and  on  the  mainland 
of  North  and  South  America.  In  the  shackles  and  fetters  of 
slavery,  with  all  its  iniquitous  and  debasing  tendencies, 
those  Hamitic  children  were  held,  beaten,  bruised,  ill- 
treated,  outraged,  assaulted,  murdered  and  retained  as 
slaves  for  nearly  three  centuries. 

"On  the  mainland  of  North  America,  and  in  nearly  all  the 
West  Indian  Islands,  the  slave-trade  work  of  shame  was 
managed  chiefly  by  the  British.  Slaves  numbering  18,000,- 
ooo  were  brought  to  the  New  World  and  sold.  They  were 
then  forced  to  toil  and  labor  for  their  white  owners  without 
pay  for  256  years.  Do  you  wonder  that  the  Caucasians  of 
Europe  and  America  are  rich  now?  There  were  numerous 
restrictions  imposed  by  the  slave-owners.  One  was  that  the 
slaves  were  to  be  kept  in  the  dark  back  room  of  gross  ig- 
norance. It  was  an  offense  of  the  gravest  kind  to  teach  the 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  121 

art  of  reading  and  writing-  to  the  slaves.  In  some  places 
such  instructions  to  the  African,  race  were  forbidden  by  leg- 
islative enactments,  and  punishable  as  any  crime  or  misde- 
meanor. 

COMPARISON  OF  THE  WHITE  AND  BLACK  RACES  AS  SLAVES. 

"Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  the  colored  race  was  not  the 
only  one  enslaved.  There  are  only  two  or  three  nations,  as 
far  as  the  records  of  history  show  (and  there  are  many 
transactions  of  the  dim  past  that  were  never  written,  and 
we  have  never  heard  of  them),  that  have  never  been  en- 
slaved. The  Britons  were  slaves  to  the  Normans,  and  were 
offered  for  sale  in  the  markets  of  Rome.  But,  while  the  Af- 
rican slaves  were  eagerly  sought  because  of  their  ability  to 
work,  the  Britons  as  slaves  were  shunned  because  they  were 
too  lazy.  As  bondsmen  the  Britons  were  altogether  inferior 
to  the  Africans.  Cicero,  in  a  letter  to  Anticus,  said:  'A  cer- 
tain military  expedition  found  no  plunder  in  Britain  but 
slaves,  who  were  too  dull  to  learn.'  Julius  Caesar  was  ad- 
vised not  to  buy  any  Anglo-Saxon  slave,  as  'he  was  not  only 
too  lazy,  but  wholly  incapable  of  producing  anything  good.' 

"No  man  was  born  a  slave,  b.ut  circumstances  made  him  a 
slave.  It  has,  however,  been  so  from  time  immemorial  that 
the  weaker  of  two  races  or  people  has  always  been  termed 
'the  bad,  the  lazy,  the  shiftless,'  etc.  The  weaker  race  has 
always  been  used  as  the  scapegoat  to  bear  and  carry  the  sins 
of  the  stronger  race  in  all  ages.  It  is  so  now.  But  remem- 
ber that  the  cry  of  "racial  inferiority"  today  does  not  ema- 
nate from  the  observant  and  most  intellectual  class  of  white 
people. 

From  Boston  Globe  the  Baltimore  American  of  June  4,  1909, 
quotes  the  following: 

THE  NEGRO'S  BRAIN. 

"Astounding  as  it  may  seem,  Prof.  Burt  G.  Wilder,  the  emi- 
nent anatomist,  who  has  been  studying  brains  for  50  years, 
considered  it  necessary  at  the  national  conference  on  the  status 
of  the  negro  to  disprove  the  old  theory,  born  of  ignorance  and 


122  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

prejudice,  that  the  negro's  brain  is  structurally  inferior  to  the 
white  man's.  In  order  to  demonstrate  this  point  Professor 
Wilder  showed  to  his  audience  the  brains  of  many  white  men 
and  of  black  men  preserved  in  alcohol,  and  called  attention  to 
the  fact,  generally  accepted  by  scientists,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
distinguish  between  the  two.  Exhibiting  the  brain  of  a  mathe- 
matician and  philosopher  and  that  of  an  illiterate  mulatto,  Pro- 
fessor Wilder  said  that  structurally  the  one  was  as  well  devel- 
oped as  the  other,  and  that  the  mulatto's  skull  was  much  thin- 
ner than  the  philosopher's. 

''Anatomists  are  familiar  with  these  facts,  said  the  professor, 
but  some  popular  novelists  are  not,  or  else  they  deliberately 
pervert  them,  and  they  are  largely  responsible  for  the  persist- 
ence of  an  unsupported  theory." 

DETERRENT   EFFECTS   OF   THE    "RACIAL    INFERIORITY   THEORY." 

"We  must  admit  that  the  constant  cry  that  the  colored 
race  is  inferior  has  its  evil  effects  upon  both  the  white  and 
colored  races.  Colored  boys  and  girls,  and  grown  folks,  too, 
are  often  instructed  not  to  employ  professional  persons  of 
color.  'Don't  employ  the  colored  lawyer,  because  the  white 
lawyer  knows  more,  when,  in  fact,  both  the  colored  and  white 
lawyer  have  been  in  the  same  class  at  the  same  college  or 
university;  but  the  colored  man  was  by  far  the  better  stu- 
dent of  the  two.  Yet  when  they  came  into  active  life  the 
badge  of  color  is  a  deterrent  cause  to  the  better  qualified 
man,  because  of  the  pernicious  'race  inferiority'  doctrine.  It 
is  the  same  thing  in  the  case  of  the  physician,  druggist,  mu- 
sician, teacher,  preacher,  dentist,  editor,  writer  and  others. 
They  prefer  to  read  a  white  man's  book,  newspaper,  journal 
or  literature.  Distrust  and  lack  of  confidence  in  their  own 
race  is  the  result.  A  distinguished  observer  wrote  this :  "It 
is  lamentably  true  that  the  majority  of  vagabonds  and  crim- 
inals identified  with  the  Negro  race  could  have  been  good 
and  useful  citizens  if  the  same  efforts  exercised  in  discour- 
aging and  culminating  the  colored  race  were  used  in  ex- 
pressing the  truth  as  it  is.  Many  colored  people  would 
spend  their  idle  moments  in  avenues  of  usefulness  if  they 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  123 

were  sure  of  gaining  any  credit  at  the  hands  of  those  who 
have  assumed  the  judgeship  over  them.  And  since  the  ten- 
dency to  conglomerate  the  good,  bad,  thrifty,  shiftless  and 
indifferent  has  become  so  popular  with  the  newspaper  cor- 
respondents, who  use  the  Negro  question  as  a  topic  of  rhet- 
orical exercises,  while  the  public  listens  attentively  and 
smiles  complacently  at  the  wicked  and  humiliating  invec- 
tives, it  has  almost  been  a  matter  of  impossibility  for  the 
better  class  of  the  colored  people  to  influence  for  good  the 
degenerating  masses  of  their  race.' 

"But,  remember,  that  the  white  man  loses  also,  because  he 
was  nursing  an  erroneous  belief  that  greatness  was  never  to 
be  found  under  the  dark  skin.  And  as  two  things  could  not 
occupy  the  same  space  at  the  same  time,  he  could  not  have 
reasoned  the  right  and  wrong  way  at  once.  Dana  Estes  wrote 
thus :  'I  have  for  several  years  spent  my  winters  in  Africa, 
and  have  studied  the  conditions  of  the  African  upon  his  own 
ground,  having  penetrated  to  the  equatorial  countries  of  the 
Uganda  and  the  Congo  State,  in  addition  to  traveling  the 
whole  extent  of  the  Soudan,  and  while  I  agree  in  the  state- 
ment that  "God  knows  the  South  wants  no  more  of  that 
curse"  of  slavery,  and  while  I  agree  with  the  general  state- 
ment that  "slavery  is  the  sum  of  all  evils,"  I  have  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  greatest  wrong  which  slavery  inflicts  upon 
a  people  is  not  upon  the  slave,  but  upon  the  slave-holder.  No 
matter  how  greatly  the  slave  is  degraded,  the  evil  effects  upon 
the  superior  race  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  greater  wrong  of  the 
two  to  the  general  civilization  of  the  world/  ' 

That  is  the  view  of  a  great  thinker  and  writer.  If  the  white 
man  believed  that  the  Negro  was  great  and  said  that  he  was 
not  great,  then  he  would  have  destroyed  his  own  moral,  logic 
and  philosophy.  He  lost  on  false  reasoning  that  the  Hamite 
had  no  greatness,  hence  he  refrained  himself  and  prevented 
his  children  from  entering  into  competition  a  test  that  would 
have  brought  out  the  best  that  was  in  both  races.  This  indif- 
ference assisted  the  negro  man  to  advance  from  the  rear  and 
practically  overtake  his  white  brother.  And  I  would  venture 
to  say  there  are  more  negro  youths  today  who  would  be  willing 


124  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

and  ready  to  compete  with  white  youths,  in  a  fair  and  impar- 
tial examination,  than  there  are  ready  and  willing-  white  youths 
to  accept  the  challenge. 

But,  my  friends,  for  the  convenience  of  the  argument  in 
supporting  my  premise,  and  your  preference  for  the  British 
policy  on  the  race  question  in  general,  and  also  your  asper- 
sions on  the  Anglo-American  in  particular,  permit  me  to 
divide  the  Hamitic  slaves  on  the  Western  Hemisphere  into 
two  wings.  One  wing  was  held  in  slavery  in  the  West  Indian 
Islands,  under  the  iron  rule  and  lashing  whip  of  the  British, 
in  the  blazing  tropical  sun,  while  the  other  wing  was  re- 
tained in  chains  and  fetters  on  the  mainland  of  North  Amer- 
ica, in  the  climate  where  there  are  extremes  of  heat  and  cold, 
under  the  Anglo-Americans,  after  they  became  a  separate 
nation  from  the  British.  But  the  children  of  Ham  thrived 
at  both  places. 

THE   SLAVES   AND   THEIR   DESCENDANTS    SHOWED   SIGNS   OF    TRUE 

GREATNESS. 

It  must  be  admitted  without  a  doubt  that  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  is  great.  It  will  be  admitted  also  that  it  takes  only  an- 
other great  race  to  be  able  to  compete  with  the  mighty 
Anglo-Saxon  race.  Do  you  admit  that?  "Oh,  yes,"  you  re- 
plied. Listen  carefully !  In  spite  of  the  Negro's  long  years 
of  servitude  in  woe  and  bondage ;  in  spite  of  his  mental  and 
moral  depravity ;  in  spite  of  his  fear  and  cowardice,  de- 
graded manhood  and  gross  ignorance ;  in  spite  of  his  wretch- 
edness and  abject  poverty;  in  spite  of  seen  and  unseen  al- 
most insurmountable  barriers ;  in  spite  of  innumerable  ob- 
tacles ;  in  spite  of  overwhelming  odds  against  him  from  his 
own  internal  fears  and  external  foes,  the  moment  his  chains 
snapped  and  his  shackles  fell,  he  rushed  forward  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  until  he  placed  himself  in  the  foremost  ranks 
of  his  Caucasian  brother  in  a  very  short  period. 

Would  you  say  his  matchless  progress  was  due  to  his  race 
"inferiority"  or  superiority?  Was  not  the  effort  he  made 
like  the  stroke  of  a  master?  What  other  race  in  the  annals 
of  history  has  ever  made  such  a  rapid  progress?  There  is  an 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  125 

adage  which  says,  "What  is  in  the  bones  will  show  itself  in 
the  flesh."  The  negro's  greatness  was  innate  in  his  race 
from  the  time  of  his  forefathers,  and  it  showed  itself  in  the 
descendants,  which  made  the  adage  to  be  true.  Do  you  ask 
what  these  offsprings  of  the  Hamites  have  done?  What  has 
he  done  in  the  pugilistic  ring?  Has  he  not  been  champion 
of  the  world,  from  lightweight  to  heavyweight? 

NEGROES  PROGRESS  IN  41  YEARS  OF  FREEDOM  UNDER  ANGLO- 
AMERICANS,  WHO  ASSISTED  THEIR  COLORED  FELLOW  CITI- 
ZENS TO  SUCCEED. 

In  connection  with  the  Jamestown  Ter-Centennial  Exposi- 
tion, which  opened  April  26th  and  continued  until  November 
30,  1907,  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment appropriated  $100,000  and  gave  said  amount  to  the  col- 
ored people  through  The  Negro  Development  and  Exposition 
Company,  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  of  which  W.  Isaac  Johnson 
was  President,  and  Giles  B.  Jackson,  Director-General. 

The  58th  Congress  donated  the  money  to  assist  the  colored 
people  that  they  would  be  the  better  able  to  show  to  the  world 
what  they  had  achieved  and  acquired  since  they  had  been  eman- 
cipated 41  years  before. 

I  was  commissioned  representative  of  Maryland,  U.  S.  A., 
to  the  above  named  Exposition.  J.  M.  May,  M.  D.,  of  Alcorn. 
A.  &  M.  College,  Alcorn,  Miss.;  R.  Kelser,  Norfolk,  Virginia; 
W.  E.  Hope,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  D.  N.  E.  Campbell,  M.D., 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  were  compilers  of  statistics,  and  the 
work  was  done  by  Dr.  May  and  myself.  Our  estimate  showed 
that  the  Negro  race  in  the  United  States  of  America  owned 
141,000  farms,  and  homes  valued  at  $750,000,000;  personal 
property  valued  at  $170,000,000.  Hence  the  total  value  of 
homes  and  personal  property  was  $920,000,000.  There  were 
19,850  churches  with  seating  capacity  of  6,300,000,  and  valued 
at  $40,000,000.  There  were  23  Negro  Bishops  and  16,000 
ordained  ministers. 

There  were  42,000  colored  students  in  the  higher  institutions 
of  learning;  30,500  teachers;  1,750,000  colored  children  in  the 
elementary  schools  ;  26,000  students  learning  trades  ;  1,250  pur- 


126  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

suing  scientific  courses;  1,250  studying  business  courses. 
Books  written  by  Negroes,  375 ;  volumes  in  Negroes'  libraries, 
300,000,  valued  at  $600,000. 

The  race  owns  and  manages  12  Colleges,  10  Academies,  60 
High  Schools,  5  Law  Schools,  45  Hospitals,  25  Theological 
Seminaries,  possesses  $12,000,000  worth  of  school  property, 
and  raised  about  $11,000,000  for  educational  purposes.  There 
were  250  druggists,  1,100  physicians,  700  lawyers,  450  nurses 
who  were  graduates. 

The  race  edits  six  magazines,  522  newspapers,  owns  and 
manages  four  large  publishing  houses,  old  folks'  homes  in 
nearly  every  state,  where  indigent  old  colored  people  go  and 
remain  in  peace  and  pleasure  till  death.  In  these  homes  the 
inmates  are  provided  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  and 
hence  exempted  from  worry.  There  are  several  orphanages, 
and  innumerable  secret  and  insurance  societies,  of  which  the 
Grand  Fountain  of  True  Reformers,  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 
is  the  largest  and  wealthiest  in  the  world. 

Negroes  own  and  operate  32  banks,  with  an  authorized 
capital  stock  of  more  than  $2,000,000.  In  the  State  of  Mis- 
sissippi alone  they  own  and  manage  12  chartered  banks, 
with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $300,000,  and  new  banks  are 
being  organized  every  year  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 
In  Virginia  the  race  is  acquiring  property  at  the  rate  of  50,- 
ooo  acres  per  annum,  and  pays  tax  in  that  state  alone  on 
$17,442,227  worth  of  real  and  personal  property. 

The  United  States  census  shows  that  the  valuation  of  the 
land  owned  and  cultivated  by  the  colored  race  is  $10.50  per 
acre,  while  that  owned  by  other  races  is  valued  at  only  $9.38 
per  acre.  The  farms  aggregate  about  38,500,000  acres. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  statistics,  there  were  21,000 
carpenters,  32,000  barbers,  15,000  masons,  12,000.  dressmak- 
ers, 10,000  engineers  and  firemen,  5,000  shoemakers,  4,000 
musicians,  12,000  bootblacks,  150,000  waiters,  and  about  the 
»ame  number  of  cooks  and  chambermaids.  This  is  a  con- 
cise account  of  the  progress  of  the  American  Negroes  dur- 
ing the  brief  period  of  forty-one  years  since  their  emancipa- 
tion. But  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  above  quoted  fig- 
ures increase  by  amazing  annual  leaps  and  bounds. 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  127 

The  Negro  Building  at  the  Jamestown  Exposition 
Grounds  contained  every  variety  of  exhibits  of  the  highest 
order  of  their  class.  The  numerous  patented  inventions  be- 
spoke with  their  silent  tongues  louder  than  words  could  tell 
or  stronger  than  pen  could  depict.  There  were  mechanical 
art,  literature  of  all  kinds  and  classes,  fine  arts,  floriculture, 
political  life,  domestic  economy,  statistics,  photographs  of 
professional  life,  business  life,  agerial  life,  staple  goods, 
sceneries,  etc.  And  as  the  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
visitors  to  that  great  Exposition  surged  by  and  gazed  upon 
the  marvelous  achievements  and  inventions  of  the  colored 
race,  .they  bowed  their  heads  and  muttered:  "Great  is  the 
Negro  race  of  America !"  The  greatest  wonder  of  the  clos- 
ing years  of  the  nineteenth  century  is  the  American  Negro's 
progress. 

IN  THE  PROFESSIONS. 

In  the  courts  of  law  throughout  the  United  States  today 
negro  lawyers  of  culture  and  ability  can  be  found  contesting 
every  legal  inch  of  ground  which  is  covered  by  white  con- 
temporaries, and,  although  judges  and  jurors  usually  be- 
long to  the  white  race,  yet  the  undaunted  colored  contestant 
often  wins  his  suit  on  merits  alone,  after  a  fierce  legal  battle. 
Does  this  shoulder-to-shoulder  struggle  with  all  the  benefits 
of  doubts  for  the  favored  brother  show  "inferiority?" 

In  every  State  of  the  Union  now,  white  and  black  physicians 
alike  must  pass  the  same  State  Board  of  Medical  Examina- 
tions before  receiving  license  to  practice  medicine.  The  iden- 
ical  questions  must  be  answered  by  both  white  and  black  appli- 
cants, who  must  measure  up  to  the  average  requirement  neces- 
sary to  ensure  eligibility  to  practise.  Some  of  these  examina- 
tions produced  astonishing  results,  and  revealed  the  mental 
superiority  of  the  colored  applicant.  There  are  many  distin- 
guished negro  physicians  and  specialists ;  and  there  are  sur- 
geons, too,  who  have  performed  successfully  the  most  intricate 
operations  in  trephining  the  bra.in,  sewing  the  heart,  removing 
abnormalities  of  the  abdominal  viscera  and  other  portions  of 
the  system. 


128  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

The  successful  surgical  operations  of  Williams,  Curtis, 
Boyd,  Warfield,  Harris,  Mossell  and  others  could  add  fame 
and  luster  to  the  surgeons  of  any  race.  It  must  not  be  sup- 
posed, however,  that  the  above  named  surgeons  are  the  most 
talented  and  intellectual  medical  lights  in  the  Negro's  rank. 
There  are  numerous  others  who  have  the  ability  and  might 
have  been  considered  prodigies  of  the  race,  but  they  lack  hos- 
pital facilities  by  which  to  demonstrate  what  they  can  do. 

As  the  instinct  to  weave  its  web  is  innate  in  the  spider,  and 
in  the  bird  to  build  its  nest,  so  is  oratory  an  inherent  gift  in  the 
American  branch  of  the  Hamitic  race.  Hence,  I  cannot  do 
better  than  to  refer  you  to  the  matchless  theological  orators 
of  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  Baptist 
Church,  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church,  the 
Episcopal  Church,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  other 
branches.  It  would  require  an  entire  chapter  if  I  were  to 
attempt  to  name  the  eloquent  preachers  of  color  in  all  the  de- 
nominations in  the  States. 

Many  of  the  Negro's  instructors  in  the  higher  institutions 
of  learning  are  worthy  literary  lights.  There  are  hundreds 
of  A.  M. ;  A.  B. ;  M.  S. ;  B.  S. ;  Ph.  D. ;  P.  H.  B.'s  who  received 
their  degrees  from  the  best  institutions  in  the  States.  Pro- 
fessor Scarborough,  the  noted  Greek  scholar  of  Wilberforce 
University;  Professor  Lockerman  and  Kelly  Miller,  the  tal- 
ented mathematicians ;  Dubois  and  Booker  T.  Washington  and 
Blyden,  the  distinguished  educators ;  Dunbar,  McGirth  and 
Davis,  poets,  are  examples. 

A  TRULY  GREAT  NEGRO  GENERAL  OF  A  FEW  YEARS  AGO. 

A  distinguished  Episcopal  clergyman  published  in  the  Balti- 
more American  the  following : 

"Some  time  ago  I  directed  attention  to  the  great  heart  and 
magnanimity  of  Richard  Allen,  the  great  negro  leader  of 
nearly  a  century  past.  I  now  want  to  direct  attention  to  the 
interior  grandeur  of  the  greatest  of  negro  leaders  and  gen- 
erals— Toussaint  L'Ouverture.  The  possibilities  of  a  race  are 
to  be  discerned  rather  in  the  highest  and  noblest  expressions 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  I2Q 

of  their  life  than  that  of  the  weaker  members  so  often  held  up 
to  the  discouragement  of  the  people.  His  consideration  for 
the  whites  of  the  Island  and  his  nobility  of  soul  are  well  illus- 
trated in  the  following  from  his  proclamation  of  defense: 

"'  'The  French  are  coming  to  make  slaves  of  us  again.  But 
there  shall  never  more  be  a  slave  in  Santo  Domingo.  They 
are  coming ;  but  they  are  our  countrymen  till  they  have  struck 
the  first  blow.  We  will  ask  of  them  concerning  our  brethren 
on  the  coast  of  Africa.  If,  in  return,  they  throw  us  in  chains, 
and  the  whip,  we  shall  know  how  to  answer.  But  not  a  blow 
must  be  struck  till  they  have  showed  whether  they  are  breth- 
ren or  foes.  Our  dark  skin  is  no  disgrace,  but  the  first  drop 
of  a  brother's  blood  dyes  us  all  in  infamy.  Let  the  infamy  be 
theirs  who  assault  us.  At  this  moment  our  first  duty  is  to  our 
white  brethren  on  this  island.  In  this  time  of  our  high  excite- 
ment they  are  full  of  grief.  They  are  guiltless  of  this  attack 
upon  our  liberty.  They  are  as  willing  as  we  to  live  and  die 
under  the  rule  of  L'Ouverture  ;  and  under  the  special  protec- 
tion of  L'Ouverture,  they  shall,  if  they  please,  live  and  die. 
Beware  of  imputing  to  them  the  sins  of  their  color.  Protect 
them  from  your  hearts — defend  them  with  your  lives  !'  '  *  * 

On  the  very  eve  of  his  death,  in  a  French  prison,  this  grand 
old  warrior  inspired  black  men  with  eternal  hope,  in  the  fol- 
lowing most  beautiful  and  touching  words: 

'Therefore,  may  we  hope  that  in  this  race  will 
the  spirit  of  Christianity  appear  more  fully  than  it 
has  yet  shown  itself  among  the  proud  whites;  show 
itself  in  its  gentleness,  its  fidelity,  its  disinterestedness,  and  its 
simple  trust.  The  proud  whites  may  scorn  this  hope,  and 
point  to  the  ignorance  and  passions  of  my  people  and  say,  'Is 
this  your  exhibition  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel?'  But  not  for 
this  will  we  give  up  this  hope.  This  ignorance,  these  passions 
are  natural  to  all  men,  and  are  in  us  aggravated  and  protracted 
by  our  slavery.  Remove  them  by  the  discipline  and  stimulus 
of  freedom,  begun  in  obedience  to  God  and  fidelity  to  all  men, 
and  there  remains  the  love  that  embraces  all ;  the  meek  faith 
that  can  bear  to  be  betrayed,  but  is  ashamed  to  doubt;  the 
generosity  that  can  forgive  severe  offenses — and  seven  times 


I3O  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

renewed;  the  simple,  open,  joyous  spirit  which  marks  such  as 
are  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Lord,  I  thank  Thee  that  Thou 
hast  made  me  a  servant  of  this  race."  Does  not  the  above  quo- 
tation show  a  truly  great  man  ?  Yes  !  his  was  true  greatness. 

A      DISTINGUISHED      WHITE      AMERICAN      ACKNOWLEDGES      THE 

NEGRO'S  GREATNESS. 

No  less  illustrious  statesman  than  the  Honorable  Charles  J. 
Bonaparte,  Attorney  General  of  the  United  States,  said  in  sub- 
stance in  a  speech  delivered  at  Washington,  D.  C,  before  the 
Young  People's  National  Congress :  "In  Europe  there  was  a 
specie  of  red  rats,  which  was  so  aggressive  that  it  destroyed 
all  other  species  of  rodents  with  which  it  came  in  contact.  No 
other  kind  of  rats  could  live  and  thrive  by  its  side.  The  Cau- 
casian or  white  race  is  like  the  red  rats  of  Europe.  Every 
race  of  people  is  driven  to  the  woods  or  die  out  that  comes  in 
contact  with  the  Caucasian  race.  The  Negro  race  is  the  only 
one  race  on  the  globe  that  has  lived,  thriven,  flourished  and 
multiplied  by  the  side  of  the  Caucasian  race.  That  one  fact 
bespeaks  volumes  in  the  Negro's  favor,  and  no  eloquence  can 
be  stronger  than  that  single  fact  to  prove  the  Negro's  great- 
ness." 

COMPLETE  SEPARATION  OF  BOTH  RACES  ALONG  ALL  LINES 
WOULD  DEVELOP  A  HEALTHIER  SOCIAL  AND  ECONOMIC  CON- 
DITION, WHICH  WOULD  RESULT  IN  INESTIMABLE  BLESSING 
TO  THE  WEAKER  RACE. 

If  you  look  out  into  nature,  you  will  find  this  truth — that 
the  larger  and  wiser  animals  feed  on  the  smaller  ones.  Look 
at  the  great  progress  the  American  Negro  has  made  along 
lines  where  he  has  been  segregated  completely !  Look  at  the 
many  churches  and  homes  where  he  is  master  from  the  ceiling 
to  the  cellar !  At  these  two  points  especially  the  colored  people 
are  rich  today.  He  would  not  have  anything  along  the  same 
line  if  he  were  not  segregated.  If  the  white  merchants  would 
say,  "We  will  not  wait  on  colored  people  at  our  counters," 
what  would  be  the  result?  Young  negro  men  could  form 
companies  and  go  into  dry  goods  business,  and  within  a  dozen 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  13! 

years  they  would  be  wealthy  merchants.  So  would  it  be  with 
the  lawyer,  doctor,  dentist,  and  all  other  lines  of  trade.  We 
stay  in  with  the  stronger  race,  and  we  are  devoured.  Look 
and  see,  and  you  shall  find  where  there  is  only  partial  separa- 
tion, or  no  separation,  the  negro  race  is  lamentably  weak. 

Although  separation  of  the  race  was  the  result  of  caste  and 
was  grievous,  yet  "out  of  evil  comes  good."  In  your  arraign- 
ment you  referred  to  our  good  and  great  friend — Cardinal 
Gibbons — and  admired  the  fact  that  his  white  and  colored 
church  members  go  together.  That  is  all  right  in  itself,  but 
remember  this  very  important  point  in  connection  with  the 
case — there  are  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  colored  priests  in 
the  entire  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  America  today.  We 
want  a  separation  so  that  the  negro  boy  can  qualify  himself 
and  also  become  a  priest,  and  even  a  Cardinal.  Has  that 
church  any  Negro  Cardinal?  If  not,  why  not?  The  separa- 
tion is  a  necessity,  for  by  it  the  colored  man's  ability  will  de- 
velop and  show  itself.  There  are  many  colored  people  in  the 
States  who  would  prefer  as  you  do,  but  they  are  in  the  minor- 
ity. All  the  well-thinking  colored  people  who  are  reasoning 
for  themselves,  and  wish  to  see  the  true  development  of  their 
race,  prefer  and  advocate  the  complete  segregation  of  the 
races  with  equal  justice  to  all.  They  ask  for  no  favors. 

DUTY   OF   THE   FAVORED   AND   STRONGER   RACE. 

In  conclusion,  my  friends,  let  me  say  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  two  branches  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  family  to  preach  and 
practise  the  doctrine  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  Brother- 
hood of  man,  because  their  race  at  this  epoch  is  favored  by 
the  Almighty;  to  act  and  teach  the  truth  until  ignorance  and 
superstition  be  unknown  in  the  presence  of  the  marvelous 
light  of  truth,  and  the  glorious  time  be  hastened  when  "right- 
eousness shall  cover  the  earth  as  waters  doeth  the  mighty  deep." 
On  my  way  from  Brooklyn  to  New  York  one  day,  the  car  in 
which  I  was  riding  chanced  to  stop  owing  to  an  accident  that 
happened  to  another  car  in  advance  of  us.  On  the  fence  I 
noticed  a  large  picture  with  a  very  large  dog  sitting  in  the 
middle,  and  on  both  sides  of  him,  several  other  dogs  sat  ac- 


132  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

cording  to  size,  until  the  smallest  dog  was  reached.  It  was 
a  beautiful  semi-circle  the  arrangement  presented;  but  under 
the  picture  these  words  were  printed,  "EACH  DOG  HAS 
HIS  DAY!" 

Today  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  holds  the  front  stage  of  the 
drama  of  nations,  but  that  fact  does  not  prove  that  said  race 
will  forever  remain  on  the  front  stage.  We  are  neither 
prophets  nor  pessimists,  but  we  are  of  the  unalterable  opinion 
that  the  Caucasian  race  will  be  allowed  to  occupy  the  front 
rank  of  honor  and  affluence  as  long  as  truth,  justice,  equity 
and  brotherly  love  be  the  governing  constitution,  and  the 
GOLDEN  RULE  the  established  platform  for  rule  and 
action.  The  big  fellow  who  sits  at  the  front  seat  need  not 
scorn  and  trample  the  little  fellow  at  the  back  seat.  Greece, 
Rome,  Carthage,  and  even  mighty  Egypt  changed  their  front 
rank,  and  so  might  the  proud  Caucasian,  for  the  evolution  of 
time  always  produced  change.  My  friends,  it  is  now  late.  I 
shall  continue  my  defense  next  Friday  evening  on  the  British 
side  of  the  race  question  and  its  results." 


Egyptian  War  Chariot, 


Egyptian     prominent  musicians. 

Some  of  the  Egyptians'  Matchless  Works  of  Art  and 
Achievements  in  Past  Ages. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  DEFENSE    (CONTINUED.) 

British  Policy  in  the  West  Indies  and  Its  Results  in  Connec- 
tion with  the  Negro  Population. 

The  following  Friday  evening"  I  rose  with  paper  in  hand  and 
said:  "Mr.  Speaker  and  gentlemen,  as  the  Panamanian  Re- 
public is  very  young  (only  four  years  old),  and  as  the  speaker 
made  great  stress  on  the  British  superior  policy  toward  the  Ne- 
gro race,  I  shall  confine  my  remarks  chiefly  to  the  British  West 
Indian  Islands;  and,  as  Jamaica  is  the  most  important  of  the 
British  West  Indian  colonies  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  I  shall  take 
it  as  a  model  for  the  smaller  islands. 

BRITISH    EMANCIPATION    OF    SLAVES. 

"From  your  handbook  of  Jamaica's  History  I  quote  the 
following :  'The  most  prominent  occurrence  in  Lord  Manches- 
ter's administration  was  the  beginning  of  the  controversy  be- 
tween the  British  Parliament  and  the  Jamaica  Assembly  on  the 
subject  of  the  Slave  Code.  In  1823  the  Assembly  was  called 
upon  to  give  effect  to  Mr.  Canning's  resolutions  for  the  adopt- 
tion  of  measures  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  slaves. 
The  Assembly  refused  to  entertain  the  recommendations,  re- 
pudiating the  right  of  the  Imperial  Parliament  to  interfere  in 
the  internal  affairs  of  the  island. 

'  Tn  1829  the  Earl  of  Belmore  became  Governor,  and  he  re- 
peated the  demand  of  the  British  Parliament  for  the  amend- 
ment of  the  Slave  Code.  Some  acts  in  this  direction  were 
passed,  but  on  the  British  Government  subsequently  making 
proposals  for  the  further  amelioration  of  the  slaves,  the  As- 
sembly offered  a  strenuous,  if  not  violent,  resistance,  the 
House  ultimately  declining  to  consider  any  measure  not  ema- 
nating from  themselves.  So  intense,  indeed,  was  the  hostility 
of  a  majority  of  the  Assembly  and  of  the  slave-owners  to  the 
imperial  Parliament,  that  they  threatened  to  "transfer  their 


136  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

allegiance  to  the  United  States,  or  even  to  assert  their  inde- 
pendence after  the  manner  of  their  continental  neighbors.' 

"The  excitement  produced  by  these  proceedings  soon  ex- 
tended to  the  slave  population,  and  on  December  28,  1831,  a 
serious  outbreak  occurred.  The  mansion  and  sugar  estate  of 
Kensington,  in  the  parish  of  Saint  James,  were  first  set  on  fire 
by  the  slaves,  and  by  midnight  sixteen  incendiary  fires  were 
destroying  the  property  in  the  neighborhood.  The  outbreak 
was  quelled  by  the  militia,  but  not  before  property  to  the  value 
of  £666,977  sterling  (or  $3,334,885)  had  been  destroyed  by 
the  slaves. 

"The  British  Government,  in  commiseration  of  the  deplor- 
able state  to  which  the  proprietors  were  reduced,  extended  to 
them  a  loan- of  £200,000  (or  $1,000,000)  to  enable  them  to  re- 
store their  plantations.  The  Earl  of  Mulgrave  having  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Government  in  1832,  again  pressed  the  Assembly 
to  pass  necessary  laws  to  give  effect  to  the  resolutions  of  1823 
of  Mr.  Canning.  But  the  Assembly  resisted  as  before,  and  de- 
clared that,  while  admitting  the  supremacy  of  the  sovereign, 
they  could  not  admit  'the  supremacy  of  one  portion  of  His 
Majesty's  subjects  in  the  parent  state  over  another  portion  of 
these  subjects  in  Jamaica.' 

"After  this  the  Eamncipation  Act  was  passed  by  the  Im- 
perial Parliament,  and  was  laid  before  the  Jamaica  Assembly 
October  18,  1833.  They  could  not  but  adopt  the  decree,  yet 
they  entered  strong  protests  against  the  Act  in  their  journals. 
On  the  ist  of  August,  1834,  slavery  was  abolished  and  the  ap- 
prenticeship system  established.  The  number  of  slaves  for 
whom  compensation  was  paid  by  the  British  Government  was 
255,290. 

"The  amount  of  compensation  awarded  the  slave-owners 
for  their  slaves  by  the  British  Government  was  ^5,853,975 
sterling  (or  $29,269,875).  The  apprenticeship  system  was 
subsequently  abolished  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  in  May,  1838, 
and  on  the  first  day  of  August  of  the  same  year  absolute  free- 
dom was  conferred  on  the  whole  negro  population." 

"Let  me  congratulate  the  British  Government  for  its  act  of 
generosity  and  benevolence  in  paying  such  a  large  sum  for  the 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    GANAL  137 

freedom  of  the  Jamaican  slaves  This  noble  act  on  the  part  of 
the  Government  satisfied  the  slave-owners  and  established  a 
feeling  of  amity  and  good- will  between  the  former  slaves  and 
their  former  owners.  Thus  the  freedman  began  his  new  career 
with  the  best  wishes  of  those  among  whom  he  had  to  live. 
This  was  an  advantage  in  the  very  start. 

"That  was  not  the  case  with  the  Anglo-American  slave- 
owners. They  did  not  receive  a  single  cent  for  their  many 
slaves — numbering  more  than  four  millions.  This  is  one  of 
the  reasons  why  there  is  more  race  antipathy  in  America  than 
is  to  be  found  in  the  British  West  Indies  between  the  races. 
Then,  again,  it  takes  years  for  the  feeling  of  difference  to  die 
out  which  would  exist  between  slave-owners  and  slaves.  This 
advantage  of  time  you  also  have  in  the  West  Indies,  because 
your  freedom  dates  from  1833,  Wlth  the  agents  of  love,  amity 
and  friendship  among  the  races,  while  in  the  United  States  it 
is  only  since  1865  the  slaves  were  freed,  with  all  the  disad- 
vantages of  racial  antipathy  between  whites  and  blacks,  and 
also  between  whites  and  whites  in  the  different  sections  of  the 
country.  Nevertheless,  let  us  see  what  progress  the  Negro 
race  has  made  without  segregation  under  British  rule,  and 
where  said  race  stands  today  with  all  the  favorable  advantages 
of  longer  freedom  and  no  race  antipathy. 

EDUCATION. 

"I  must  admit  that  the  British  West  Indies  have  produced 
some  very  intellectual  men  who  can  rank  among  the  foremost 
scholars  of  the  day,  irrespective  of  color.  I  know  you  have 
clever  attorneys  and  some  judges,  and  that  you  have  had  a 
Chief  Justice,  and  a  few  native  Attorney  Generals.  I  know 
you  have  brilliant  men  in  the  medical  profession,  such  as  Dr. 
Edwards,  whose  record  in  the  University  of  Scotland  and  one 
of  the  Canadian  Universities  made  him  an  honor  to  his  coun- 
try and  a  prodigy  of  his  race.  I  know  you  have  some  very 
successful  medical  practitioners,  as  Drs.  McCatty,  Branstof, 
etc.  But  how  many  schools  have  your  great  men  founded  for 
the  good  of  the  professions?  Have  you  any  medical  or  phar- 
maceutical schools  ?  No !  Have  you  any  law  schools  ?  No  ! 


138  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"I  know  that  negro  youths  without  discrimination  are  al- 
lowed to  enter  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  Edinburgh  University 
or  any  other  English  schcools  they  might  select.     But  your 
native  men  never  got  the  chance  to  teach  in  any  of     those 
schools,  however  qualified  they  might  be  to  fill  the  position. 
The  positions  must  be  filled  and  the  teaching  done  by  white 
men.    How,  then,  will  your  ability  be  demonstrated  if  you  are 
together  and  all  such  positions  have  always  been  held  by  the 
Englishmen?     Is  there  any  room  for  you  to  develope?     Is  it 
not  a  fact  that  native  young  men  who  have  received  the  Bach- 
elor of  Arts  degree  have  to  teach  in  the  common  schools  for  a 
living,  as  there  is  no  room  in  the  higher  institutions  of  learn- 
ing for  them   simply  because   such  institutions   are  filled  by 
Englishmen  ?    What  is  the  matter  with  your  boy's  knowledge  ? 
He  received  his  B.  A.  degree  at  Cambridge  with  classmates  of 
the  Caucasian  race,  yet  when  he  comes  out  into  the  world  his 
English  colleague  gets  the  position  as  professor  in  one  of  your 
high  schools  or  colleges,  and  your  son  must  teach  in  the  ele- 
mentary schools.     And  if  by  chance  that  negro  graduate  is 
taken  into  the  higher  institution  of  learning  as  instructor,  is  he 
not  retained  only  as  "assistant"  ?     Why,  to  be  sure.     In  the 
United  States  the  negro  people  are  looking  far  ahead.     Their 
horizon  is  not  circumscribed  in  anything.     They   believe   in 
segregation,  because  when  the  negro  boy  receives  his  degree  of 
A.  B.,  A.  M.,  M.  S.,  or  B.  S.,  Ph.  D.  or  Ph.  B.,  we  have  sev- 
eral openings  in  the  High  schools,  Colleges  or  Universities 
awaiting  him,  where  he  might  be  employed  to  demonstrate  his 
ability;  and  if  such  he  possesses,  there  is  the  possibility  of  his 
becoming  "president"  of  that  institution,  or  be  transferred  to 
another  in  case  of  a  vacancy  by  death  or  resignation.     But  he 
is  never  kept  as  an  "assistant."     Hence,  we  have  many  thou- 
sands of  negro  graduates  who  are  instructors  in  our  higher 
institutions  of  learning  and  drawing  very  good  pay  as  salaries. 
We  can  show  you  an  army  of  them,  and  you  cannot  show  us 
a  dozen.     The  reason  is  too  clear  for  anyone  to  pretend  that 
it  cannot  be  understood.    Why,  in  the  country  of  racial  segre- 
gation the  colored  boy  strives  to  reach  the  top,  because  he 
knows  honor  and  good  salary  await  him.     In  your  islands 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  139 

without  separation  of  the  races,  all  the  important  places  belong- 
to  the  white  man,  and  the  negro  boy  says,  "What  is  the  use 
of  denying  myself  and  studying  for  the  B.  A.  degree  if  I  have 
to  teach  an  elementary  school  afterwards  at  £25  to  £60  per 
annum  ?" 

Is  it  not  the  same  state  of  affairs  in  your  churches?  As  a 
general  rule  have  not  native  preachers  to  accept  the  smallest 
charges,  while  the  white  men  hold  all  the  largest  and 
most  influential?  Our  segregation  in  the  United  States 
placed  the  colored  people  in  possession  of  about  20,000  church 
edifices  of  all  size  and  shape,  situated  in  the  most  fashionable 
centers  of  the  various  cities  and  towns,  as  well  as  in  the  coun- 
try. Into  these  churches  none  but  the  sons  of  Ham  can  be 
pastors.  It  is  their  heritage.  Hence,  if  the  negro  preacher 
has  the  ability  he  can  be  called  from  a  small  church  in  the 
savannah  of  Texas  at  a  small  salary  to  another  in  Chicago  or 
New  York,  Boston  or  Philadelphia,  at  a  decent  annual  salary. 
And  the  colored  people's  churches  are  as  spacious  as  the  white 
people's  churches,  because  most  of  the  colored  churches  for- 
merly belonged  to  white  congregations,  which  they  sold  to  the 
colored  people.  Have  you  any  church  which  you  can  really 
call  your  own,  that  is  not  in  some  Union  whose  president  is  a 
white  man?  How  many  Old  Folks'  homes,  orphanages, 
banks,  high  schools,  colleges,  universities,  hospitals,  sanita- 
riums, medical  colleges,  pharmaceutical  schools,  law  schools, 
theological  institutions  have  you?  What  inventions  have  you 
perfected  and  patented?  What  industrial  progress  have  you 
made?  What  has  the  negro  population  under  British  rule  to 
show  to  the  world  they  have  done  during  nearly  a  century  of 
freedom  ? 

I  have  made  special  inquiries  concerning  these  points,  and 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  my  friends,  that  even  your  intelligent  men 
seemed  contented  while  things  drag  on  just  as  the  English- 
man directs.  What  he  thinks  and  says  should  be  done  is  done. 
Hence,  on  the  whole,  the  negro  race  under  British  rule  with- 
out segregation  has  done  practically  nothing  for  itself,  but 
has  fallen  into  a  state  of  inertia  desuetude.  Without  a  single 
race  leader  or  union,  disorganization  causes  a  lax  condition  of 


I4O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

race  unity  which  is  sad  and  lamentable.  But  you  speak  about 
American  prejudice!  In  the  States  race  prejudice  is  sensible, 
and  produces  good  results.  In  the -West  Indies  among  the 
negro  race  itself  prejudice  is  greater  under  British  rule  than 
anywhere  else  in  the  world.  The  shrewd  European  politician, 
to  keep  the  race  apart  that  it  be  more  easily  managed,  has  suc- 
cessfully taught  all  the  negroes  to  look  up  to  the  Anglo-Saxon, 
but  down  on  his  own  race  according  to  the  shade  of  the  skin. 
This  teaching  was  practised  probably  from  the  fact  that  the 
negro  population  was  larger,  and  if  they  were  united  and  edu- 
cated along  racial  lines,  they  could  have  everything  their  way 
and  the  white  brother  would  be  out  of  it.  Hence,  if  there  are 
twelve  shades  of  negroes  in  the  British  and  French  West  In- 
dies, there  will  also  be  a  dozen  sections,  each  looking  down 
upon  the  other  according  to  the  darker  hue  of  the  skin,  and 
the  prejudice  in  this  way  is  greater  than  is  to  be  found  be- 
tween the  white  and  black  races.  This  condition  is  worse  in 
some  of  the  islands  than  in  others.  It  is  the  same  principle 
that  has  divided  Hayti  into  two  small  republics,  a  fact  which 
made  the  Haytians  much  weaker  today  than  they  otherwise 
would  be.  Was  this  scheme  started  intentionally  to  weaken 
the  negro  race?  The  Caucasian  is  made  stronger  because 
among  the  colored  people  there  is  no  unity,  and,  consequently, 
there  can  be  no  strength. 

Has  the  colored  race  forgotten  what  the  scripture  says  in 
Timothy  v.  8?  The  indifference  of  the  race  is  so  great  that 
the  Caucasian  does  just  what  he  thinks  best;  and  thus  one 
writer  observed  and  wrote :  "The  West  Indian  Negro  who 
fraternizes,  or  with  whom  the  white  man  sometimes  affects  to 
fraternize,  and  who,  by  this  seeming  condescension,  fancies 
himself  transformed  into  a  full-blown  Anglo-Saxon — an  idea 
which  robs  him  of  a  just  conception  of  his  individuality,  ham- 
pers the  progress  of  his  people,  and  lends  countenance  to  the 
belief  in  the  superiority  of  the  white  skin."  With  us  in  the 
United  States,  every  negro,  whether  he  is  as  white  as  snow  or 
black  as  tar,  considers  himself  one  of  the  race,  and  always 
unite  for  the  betterment  and  uplift  of  his  race,  hence,  there  we 
are  not  divided,  but  united  as  one.  The  same  observer  and 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  14! 

writer  quoted  above  continues :  "The  Afro-Americans,  more 
educated  and  progressive,  realize  their  manhood  and  equality, 
and  glory  in  the  fact  that  they  are  what  they  are,  so  far  as 
color  is  concerned.  In  the  American  Negroes  does  not  exist 
that  silly  and  slave-engendered  aspiration  to  change  their  epi- 
dermis. They  know  whence  they  come,  and  feel  that  they 
stand  on  the  same  manly  footing  as  their  white  brothers,  cap- 
able of  the  same  possibilities  if  given  equal  opportunities. 
With  them  segregation  has  brought  about  a  unity,  which 
would  otherwise  be  impossible.  The  dominant  idea  is  to  build 
up  for  themselves  those  necessities  of  life,  which  mark  the 
aspiration  of  civilized  and  progressive  people.  Their  number 
of  leagues,  associations,  clubs,  mutual  organizations,  commer- 
cial enterprises  and  other  combinations  of  various  descrip- 
tions, having  for  their  object  the  moral,  social,  intellectual  and 
material  progress  of  the  race  is  simply  astounding.  The  result 
of  this  unity  is,  that  the  thousands  of  dollars,'  which  once 
found  their  way  in  the  pockets  of  the  white  people,  now  go 
into  their  own  coffers.  *  *  *  To  those  of  us  whose  eyes 
are  not  closed  to  the  condition  of  things  here  in  the  West 
Indies,  it  is  evident  that  we  are  considerably  behind  our  Afro- 
American  brothers.  And  this  unfortunate  state  of  things  will 
continue  as  long  as  we  cling  to  the  slavish  idea  that  the  white 
man  must  lead  and  we  follow." 

The  above  quotation  was  made  from  the  pen  of  one  of  your 
own  men.  You  complain  of  the  ill-treatment  given  the  West 
Indian  laborers  at  the  Canal  Zone  by  white  Americans.  Yet 
you  are  forced  to  come  and  accept  said  treatment  and  such 
little  wages  that  no  colored  person  would  work  for  in  the 
States,  to  say  nothing  of  leaving  their  homes  to  go  abroad  to 
work  for  such  pittance.  Your  sad  condition  in  the  British 
West  Indies,  therefore,  makes  it  possible  for  the  white  south- 
erner to  humiliate  you  and  thus  distract  from  the -high  stand- 
ard your  Anglo-American  brother  has  set  up  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  race.  Hence  today  the  British  West  Indian  Ne- 
groes have  found  themselves  "between  the  devil  and  the  deep 
sea."  The  Englishman  has  nothing  to  give  him  to  do  for  a 
living,  and  the  Anglo-Americans  who  have  it  to  give  says : 


142  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"These  are  not  our  negroes  and  we  are  not  bound  to  look  out 
for  their  interest.  They  are  aliens  and  we  will  get  all  we  can 
out  of  them  for  as  small  wages  as  possible." 

My  friends,  I  hope  your  eyes  will  be  opened  some  day  to 
see  as  you  should  the  awful  plight  your  preferred  British 
policy  has  placed  you  in.  You  prefer  it  for  no  other  reason 
than  that  the  shrewd  Englishman  does  not  tell  you  that  you 
are  a  "Negro,"  and  as  he  sometimes  shakes  your  hand  and 
smiles  with  you,  at  the  same  time  leaves  you  poorer  or  worse 
off,  so  far  as  material  things  are  concerned,  each  time  he 
comes  in  contact  with  you,  you  are  contented. 

The  sad  state  of  affairs  among  you  can  be  also  seen  from 
the  following  communication  sent  to  one  of  your  newspapers: 

"DEAR  SIR: 

"Please  allow  me  space  in  your  columns  to  make  a  few  re- 
marks relative  to  the  editorial  article  which  appeared  in  the 
Jamaica  Guardian,  October  3,  1908,  under  the  caption,  'A 
Story  and  Its  Morals.' 

''I  take  this  position  because  I  am  interested  in  that  land 

and  its  people,  and  also  acquainted  with  the  lady,  Mrs.  F , 

and  her  girl,  Edith  W ,  who  it  is  alleged  deposited  twenty- 
five  shillings  in  the  Island  Treasury  April  last  in  conformity 
to  the  law.  In  your  article  it  is  made  clear  that  since  the  re- 
cent law  became  operative,  each  Jamaican  going  to  the  Isth- 
mus is  required  to  deposit  twenty-five  shillings  with  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  on  returning  home,  upon  presentation  of  the 
receipt  for  the  deposit,  together  with  the  permit,  which  must 
be  endorsed  by  a  member  of  the  constabulary  as  evidence  of 
identification,  the  money  deposited  is  refunded  to  its  owner. 

"Should  not  this  routine  afford  ample  safeguard  for  the 
money  deposited,  and  also  sufficient  obstacle  for  the  oppressed 
people  who  are  striving  to  better  their  condition?  Do  those 
who  legislate  such. laws  really  know  or  ever  think  of  the  woes, 
trials,  hardships,  vexations  their  countrymen  suffer  and  endure 
abroad  by  working  for  foreign  nations  who  have  no  interest 
in  them?  Whose  pen  can  well  depict  or  tongue  tell  the  indig- 
nity heaped  upon  West  Indians  who  are  endeavoring  to  earn 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  143 

a  livelihood  on  foreign  soil?  But  can  anyone  blame  ambi- 
tious people  for  seeking  bread  and  subsistence  abroad,  since 
their  own  country  fails  to  provide  them  employment?  And 
even  when  such  employment  is  secured,  the  worker  practically 
receives  no  pay  for  wages?  Should  not  these  islanders  be 
encouraged  for  their  heroic  effort  and  struggle  in  Central 
America  and  the  Isthmus  to  avert  the  poverty  that  confronts 
them  at  home  ? 

"But,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  impediment  which  their 
own  government  placed  in  the  pathway  of  the  natives,  your 
paper  states  that,  'Instructions  were  issued  about  a  fortnight 
ago  to  the  Island  Treasurer  not  to  refund  any  depositor's 
money  until  an  inspector's  identification  of  the  depositor  was 
secured.'  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  'inspector'  was  not 
required  to  notice  or  photograph  the  depositor  when  the  de- 
posit was  made.  Naturally,  of  course,  the  'inspector'  would 
not  know  the  depositor,  and,  consequently,  could  not  identify 
him,  but  would  pass  him  along  from  one  official  to  anothei 
Thus,  the  native  returning  home,  would  soon  become  tired 
and  weary  of  the  bother  and  delay  caused  by  this  'pass-'em- 
on'  method,  and  fearful  of  the  expense  of  board  and  lodging 
and  also  the  loss  of  much  precious  time  in  the  vain  effort  to 
be  identified,  leave  the  money  in  disgust  in  the  Treasury  and 
go  home,  never  again  to  receive  it. 

"But  should  not  these  clever  foreign  schemers  be  satisfied 
with  the  money  which  reverts  to  the  Government  from  natives 
who  have  died  abroad  and  others  who  never  returned  home? 
Why,  then,  resort  to  such  trickery  to  leach  those  who  return? 
What  a  neat  scheme  to  filch  money  from  the  poor!  What  a 
shameful  and  outrageous  Modus  Operandi  under  guise  of 
official  protection !  But  do  you  say  it  is  only  laborers  to  be 
victimized  that  way,  then  why  such  ado?  From  personal  ex- 
perience in  the  most  progressive  countries,  I  declare  beyond 
successful  contradiction,  that  The  Masses  Of  Every  Well- 
Managed  Government  Constitute  The  Most  Essential  Nucleus 
Of  The  Country's  Prosperity.  Can  you  deny  it?  Look  at  the 
care  exercised  by  unions  to  ensure  protection  to  all  classes 
of  laborers  in  the  United  States  and  its  consequent  results ! 


144  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"The  merchants,  lawyers,  doctors,  preachers,  editors  and 
other  vocations  prosper  as  the  result  of  good  wages  and  pro- 
tection to  the  laboring  class.  That  class  of  the  population  has 
no  cause  for  going  elsewhere  to  seek  employment.  Show  me  a 
country  where  the  laboring  class  is  oppressed,  down-trodden, 
underpaid  and  overlooked,  and  I  will  show  you  a  country  tfeat 
does  not  worth  its  name,  but  abounds  in  poverty  and  all  its 
concomitant  evils.  And  does  not  a  philosopher  say,  'Poverty 
is  worse  than  disease?' 

"But,  remember,  that  the  imposed  injustice  on  the  returning 
laborers  is  not  confined  to  one  class  of  Jamaicans  as  some 
erroneously  suppose.  See  the  truth  in  the  following  Latin 
quotation — Ex  uno  disce  omnes — As  It  Is  For  One,  So  It  Is 
For  All. 

"But  the  question  naturally  arises,  who  issued  the  instruc- 
tion to  the  Island  Treasurer  that  no  money  was  to  be  returned 
to  the  depositor  until  such  was  identified  by  an  'inspector'? 

"If  such  instruction  was  issued  by  the  Governor  or  any  other 
foreign  official,  may  not  the  following  questions  be  fittingly 
asked  at  this  time  ?  Who  will  answer  them  ? 

1.  When  do  Jamaicans  expect  to  rise  above  accepting  the  con- 
dition   imposed    by    that     famous  Paramount  Importance 
Clause,  which  invests  the  Governor  with  practically  abso- 
lute ruling  power,  and  enables  him  ad  libitum  to  do  what  he 
desires,  in  spite  of  the  Legislative  Council  pompously  exist- 
ing as  a  body  representing  the  people?     Is  the  council  only 
a  figure-head? 

2.  Do  these  islanders  intend  to  forever  tolerate  such  injustice 
and  at  the  same  time  remain  members  in  good  standing  of 
the  Dumb  Driven  Cattle  and  Folly  Club?     How  long  do 
they  intend  to  allow  all  the  lucrative  positions  in  their  Island 
home  to  be  held  by  foreigners,  thereby  annually  depleting 
their  country  and  sending  its  wealth  abroad  across  the  At- 
lantic?    Can  any  country  ever  rise  where  the  bulk  of  its 
tax  and  other  revenue  is  paid  in  salaries  to  outsiders  and 
carried  away  instead  of  being  utilized  at  home  for  the  de- 
velopment of   the   resources  of  the   country   whence   it   is 
derived  ? 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  145 

3.  When  will  Jamaicans,  like  intelligent  Americans,  learn  to 
favor  and  protect  their  own  people  by  enacting  laws  to  abol- 
ish peonage  by  which  their  countrymen  are  carried  to  Cen- 
tral America  and  Coolies  are  held  in  semi-slavery  as  labor- 
ers ?    When  do  they  intend  to  enact  sensible  laws  to  prevent 
Chinese,  Coolies  and  Assyrian  importation  either  as  pedlers, 
who  will  encroach  on  the  native  merchants,  or  as  laborers, 
who  must  of  necessity  snatch  bread  from  the  mouths  of  that 
class  of  laborers? 

4.  When  will  Jamaicans  realize  that  the  poverty,  stringency 
and  continued  depression  of  their  country  are  due  princi- 
pally to  the  lack  of  industrial  enterprises,  native  organiza- 
tions, corporate  bodies  to  develop  home  resources,  good  pay 
for  labor,  better  pay  for  natives  and  less  pay  for  the  Eng- 
lishman who  remains  temporarily  among  them? 

5.  When  will  Jamaicans  know  that  to  maintain  a  high  stand- 
ard of  fitness  and  efficiency   for  office,  the  Merit  System 
should  be  the  only  criterion,  and  Civil  Service  the  only  rule 
to   ascertain   the   fitness ;   that   favorism   versus   merit   for 
filling  government  offices  breeds  and  harbors  an  unhealthy 
state  of  intellectual  weakness  and  incompetency,  with  cer- 
tain inevitable  reaction?     And  that  it  is  a  positive  down- 
ward 'step  for  any  country  to  abolish  its  Civil  Service  sys- 
tem and  substitute  therefor  partisanship  and  favorism? 

6.  When  will  these  Islanders  awake  from  their  long  slumber 
and  learn  that  unless  insane,  or  in  some  way  deranged,  a 
healthy  mother  is  the  best  nurse   for   her  offspring?     A 
Country  For  Its  Natives,  like  a  mother  is  for  her  child,  con- 
stitutes the  most  important  and  essential  principle,  which, 
when  established  and  maintained,  produces  continued  and  in- 
creased prosperity  ?  Since  England  is  for  Englishmen,  Amer- 
ica for  Americans,  Hayti  for  Haytians,  Cuba  for  Cubans, 
why  then  should  not  there  be  a  "Jamaica  For  Jamaicans?" 
But  the  hope  and  expectation  of  its  misguided  natives  to  the 
contrary,  notwithstanding,  will  never  be  realized  in  seeing 
the  "Promise  Land  of  industrial  milk  and  honey"  in  their 
island  home  through  the  medium  of  highly  paid   foreign 


146  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

British  officials.  For  if  the  X-ray  of  truth  be  turned  on  the 
whole  situation,  what  will  Jamaica  really  be  if  American 
trade,  capital  and  industry  were  taken  out  of  her? 

Hence,  Jamaica  needs  an  Evangelist  to  preach  the  gospel 
of  home  industry,  -native  self-reliance,  unity  and  freedom  from 
oppression;  she  needs  a  Moses  to  deliver  her  pilched,  under- 
paid and  over-taxed  people ;  she  needs  a  qualified  physician  to 
heal  her  chronic,  bleeding  and  sloughing  wounds,  and  inject 
new  life-blood  into  her  depleted  and  withered  veins  and 
arteries;  she  needs  a  chemist  to  prepare  wholesome  food  for 
her  indigent  leaders  that  they  might  be  the  better  able  to  trace 
effects  to  their  causes  and  devise  measures  to  remedy  existing 
wrongs;  she  needs  an  occular  surgeon  to  remove  the  political 
scales  which  have  so  long  obstructed  the  visions  of  her  sons 
and  caused  them  to  be  indifferent  to  their  rights.  Oh,  island- 
ers, awake !  Shake  off  the  dust  of  indifference  and  sing  the 
new  song — "Jamaica  For  Jamaicans !" 

Mr.  Speaker  and  friends,  if  I  hurt  your  feelings  and  touched 
your  pride,  I  ask  your  pardon ;  but  in  my  defense  I  could  not 
overlook  these  facts  and  conditions  I  referred  to.  But  to  re- 
turn to  the  subject  of  the  colored  race  under  the  Anglo-Amer- 
icans and  British  respectively,  let  me  say,  it  was  a  blessing 
when  the  Anglo-Americans  taught  their  negro  fellow-citizens 
to  work,  and  also  the  fact  that  labor  has  its  dignity.  They 
have  been  taught  to  swim  early,  and  they  are  neither  afraid 
nor  ashamed  to  work.  The  odds  against  which  the  Afro- 
Americans  wrestled  did  nothing  but  develop  their  strength. 

But  does  not  the  case  of  the  returning  laborers  to  their 
island  home  show  that  even  the  dominant  race  in  the  British 
West  Indies  is  not  up  to  its  former  standard  ?  And  was  it  not 
General  Baden-Powel,  an  Englishman,  who,  in  his  work  on 
Matabele  Campaign,  said :  "The  Negro  must  be  governed  with 
a  hand  of  iron,  and  it  is  necessary  at  times  to  remove  the 
glove"?  You  are  indeed  welcome  to  all  your  preferred  British 
policy ;  but  we  thank  God  for  the  generous  and  liberal  Anglo- 
Americans,  through  whose  assistance  the  Afro- American 
people  have  succeeded  beyond  all  comparison. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  147 

But  the  entire  colored  race,  whether  residing  under  the 
Anglo-American,  British,  or  any  other  flag  on  the  Western 
Hemisphere,  whose  ancestors  were  brought  from  Africa  under 
similar  circumstances,  should  unite  in  the  sentiment  of  the 
following  Hamitic  Prayer,  which  has  a  verse  to  every  letter 
of  the  alphabet  indicative  of  the  thought  for  the  good  and  best 
welfare  of  the  whole  Negro  race  throughout  the  world: 

ALPHABETICAL    HAMITIC    PRAYER. 

Arrange  with  us,  Great  God, 

Against  all  races'  rod; 

And  may  Thy  presence  prove 

All  evils  to  remove; 

And  this  we  pray,  "Be  Thou  our  stay," 

Till  earth  and  heaven  pass  away. 

Beside  us  day  and  night 

Bend  Thy  protecting  light, 

Back  like  in  ages  past, 

Before  the  Egyptian  Blast ; 

Bind  us  in  love  and  unity 

Till  earth  and  heaven  pass  away. 

Come  near  us  when  we  call, 

Come  lift  us  from  our  fall ; 

Cancel  our  vice  and  sin, 

Cause  our  just  cause  to  win; 

Come  guide  our  feet  that  we  can't  stray 

Till  earth  and  heaven  pass  away. 


Master,  how  dark  the  night ! 
May  morning  bring  us  light? 
Many  long  years  may  pass, 
Morning  will  come  at  last ; 
Must  we  not  for  it  hope  and  pray 
Till  earth  and  heaven  pass  away? 


Oh !  Omnipotent  King, 
Over  us  spread  Thy  wing; 
Ope  wide  Thy  chastening  Seal, 


148  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

On  those  against  us  strive; 

Oh,  teach  our  race  Thy  righteous  will, 

Till  earth  and  heaven  pass  away. 


Zion— that  land  above, 
Zion  o'erflowed  with  love, 
Zounds  there  are  all  unknown, 
Zealous  each  with  his  crown ; 
Zion,  we  hope   for  justice  there 
When  earth  and  heaven  pass  away. 


I5O  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


Castleton  Gardens,  Kingston,  Jamaica,  West  Indies. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WOMAN  :   HER  PLATFORM,   PROTECTION   AND  TREATMENT. 

"It  appears,  doctor,  as  if  you  wish  people  to  run  me  out  of 
Colon,"  said  a  young  editor,  as  he  seated  himself  on  a  veranda 
chair,  smiling. 

"What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked  earnestly. 

"Well,  my  dear  sir,"  he  said  seriously,  "it  is  a  fact  that  I 
asked  you  to  prepare  me  an  article  on  some  subject  for  my 
paper,  and  you  have  kindly  written  it  on  the  subject  of  woman ; 
but  I  dare  not  publish  the  article  you  have  prepared,  because 
both  writer  and  publisher  would  be  cursed  from  Dan  to  Beer- 
sheba,  and  probably  hissed  or  stoned  if  we  venture  on  the 
street." 

"Why,  is  there  anything  derogatory  in  the  article  that  would 
provoke  such  treatment  of  us?"  I  querried. 

"Yes,  in  a  general  sense,  I  should  say  it  is  derogatory  in  its 
tone.  You  see,  people  of  all  classes  live  here  in  concu- 
binage. They  would  say  the  article  was  especially  aimed  at 
them.  When  I  read  your  article  to  my  friend  last  night,  he 
said  to  me,  Tf  you  know  what  is  good  for  you,  I  would  advise 
you  not  to  publish  that  stuff.  Those  pretentious  Americans 
make  me  tired.  What  have  they  to  do  with  the  private  life  of 
anybody?  They  are  here  to  dig  the  dirt  of  the  Canal.  What 
have  they  to  do  with  our  morals?  Yes,  I  understand  that  the 
Manager  of  the  Panama  Railroad  dismissed  a  young  man 
from  a  good  job  because  a  young  woman  reported  that  the 
fellow  wronged  her,  then  forsook  her.  Yes,  and  the  young 
fellow  is  "fired"  without  notice  or  warning:  What  do  you  call 
an  act  like  that?"  I  told  him  that  it  was  a  pretty  bad  case,  but 
I  did  not  think  it  was  the  business  of  anyone  outside  of  the 
two  concerned." 


152  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"For  my  part,"  said  I  to  the  editor,  "I  think  the  Railroad 
Manager  is  to  be  congratulated  for  teaching  that  most  essen- 
tial lesson  to  a  people  who  sadly  need  it.  And  I  sincerely  hope 
the  heads  of  the  various  Departments  here  under  the  United 
States  Government  will  'fire'  every  man  who  does  an  act  of 
that  kind,  and  also  blackball  him,  so  as  to  prevent  him  being 
re-employed  anywhere  on  the  Canal." 

"If  you  take  my  advice,  doctor,"  said  the  editor,  "you  would 
not  allow  these  people  in. Colon  to  hear  you  say  so.  People 
here  have  been  accustomed  to  live  as  they  choose.  Of  course, 
on  the  Canal  Zone  they  have  to  keep  mighty  straight,  as  no 
one  is  allowed  to  live  there  in  concubinage.  There  the  law  is  so 
strict  on  that  subject  that  the  authorities  often  sent  detectives 
to  the  people's  houses;  and  if  an  unmarried  pair  be  found  in 
the  same  house,  they  are  forced  to  marry  then  and  there,  or 
quit  off  the  Zone  Territory.  The  folks  do  not  relish  it  at  all, 
but  as  they  have  no  alternative  but  to  marry  or  quit,  they 
usually  get  married.  A  striking  example  of  the  folly  was  that 
of  a  widow,  who  lived  in  the  same  house  with  her  son,  and 
because  they  could  not  produce  a  marriage  certificate,  they  had 
a  hard  and  stiff  time  from  being  forced  to  marry.  What  do 
you  think  about  that?  I  think  it  went  a  little  too  far.  But 
why  all  such  ado?  Have  they  not  the  same  thing,  if  not 
worse,  in  the  Southern  States  of  America?  Haven't  I  heard 
that  white  and  colored  persons  remain  together  without  legal 
molestation,  and  have  children,  but  the  moment  they  dare  to 
get  married  and  try  to  lead  a  better  life,  they  are  arrested  and 
placed  in  prison  for  breaking  some  statute  law?  Isn't  that 
worse  than  our  simple  concubinage?  Canal  diggers  should 
not  be  moral  reformers.  That  part  of  the  work  should  be  left 
for  others  to  do." 

"It  might  have  been  a  trying  experience  for  the  poor 
widow,"  I  said,  "but  the  effort  to  rid  American  territory  of 
the  sin  of  concubinage  is  a  righteous  one,  and  should  be  com- 
mended. It  teaches  the  groundwork  principle  of  morality ; 
and  to  be  frank  in  the  matter,  that  'Forced  To  Marry  System* 
introduced  here  in  the  Canal  Zone  is  the  best  and  only  remedy 
for  these  long-neglected  Central  American  countries,  and  West 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  153 

Indian  Islands,  where  women  are  not  protected  at  all;  where 
they  can  be  wronged  without  redress,  and  where  the  law 
seemed  to  favor  men  only. 

"Respecting-  what  you  said  of  certain  Southern  States  prac- 
ticing a  worse  form  of  the  same  grievance,  which  you  are 
forced  here  to  remedy,  I  am  not  well  informed  where  people 
would  be  imprisoned  to  marry  who  were  living  together,  sim- 
ply on  account  of  color.  But  if  such  condition  exists,  the 
pulpit,  and  press,  and  righteous  members  of  the  community 
should  wage  a  relentless  war  against  it  until  such  evil  is  abol- 
ished. I  am  aware  that  on  account  of  color  many  wrongs  are 
winked  at  in  the  Southern  States,  even  by  the  pulpit,  and  I  must 
say,  as  great  as  the  United  States  is  considered  abroad,  the  race 
antipathy,  especially  of  the  South,  has  produced  causes  which 
leave  dark  blots  on  the  fair  and  good  name  of  a  great  country. 
But  I  hope  someone  will  root  out  the  evil  there  as  the  Amer- 
ican authorities  are  trying  to  do  here." 

"But  your  divorce  evil  in  America  is  not  confined  to  any 
section  of  the  country!  Why  don't  they  remedy  that?  Bosh! 
I  think  they  are  not  sincere  in  this  'forced  marriage  business' 
on  the  Zone,  else  they  would  set  the  proper  example  by  first 
thoroughly  cleansing  their  own  home,"  said  the  editor. 

"Well,  my  good  fellow,"  I  answered,  "I  believe  that  twenty 
cases  of  divorces  show  a  very  much  higher  state  of  morality 
than  one  case  of  concubinage.  In  the  States,  it  is  true,  we 
have  numerous  divorces,  but  let  it  be  remembered  that  people 
are  not  allowed  to  live  in  concubinage  there.  If  such  exists, 
it  is  on  the  sly,  and  I  as  an  individual  am  not  aware  of  its 
whereabouts.  Well,  I  am  sorry  you  are  afraid  to  publish  the 
article,  as  it  took  me  quite  a  little  while  to  prepare;  but  since 
it  will  hurt  and  hold  you  up  to  ridicule,  then  I  have  no  crit- 
icism to  offer.  But  I  wonder  why  people  try  to  appear  better 
than  they  really  are?  And  why  should  they  try  to  dodge  the 
truth?" 

"I  am  not  exactly  opposing  your  argument,"  said  the  editor, 
"but  as  the  article  contains  objectionable  features,  I  will  have 
to  refrain  from  publishing  it  just  at  this  time."  The  following 
is  the  article : 


154  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

WOMAN: 

HER    PLATFORM,    PROTECTION    AND    TREATMENT. 

BY 
D.    NEWTON   EMANUEL  CAMPBELL,    M.   D. 

WOMAN  is  the  most  superb  product  of  the  Creator's  handi- 
work on  earth.  She  was  not  made  from  the  "dust  of  the 
ground"  as  man  was.  The  ingredients  which  enter  woman's 
construction  and  constitute  her  framework  were  not  raw  ma- 
terials when  taken,  as  those  used  in  Adam's  framework. 

The  first  man  became  a  "living  soul"  with  two  component 
parts ;  first,  the  framework  of  purely  clay  material ;  and  sec- 
ond, the  infusion  of  the  Creator's  breath.  It  was  from  this 
living  man,  an  already  finished  and  complete  compound,  a  rib 
was  taken  to  form  the  framework  of  woman's  body.  Is  it  not 
feasible  and  logical,  therefore,  to  conclude,  even  without  bibli- 
cal support,  or  any  authentic  evidence,  that  an  additional 
breath  of  the  Creator  was  infused  into  woman's  framework 
before  she  became  a  living  soul?  Could  anyone  contend  that 
it  was  not  so  ? 

This  being  the  case,  then  it  is  clear  and  indisputable  that 
woman's  body  consists,  in  a  sense,  of  three  parts ;  first,  the 
original  clay  in  Adam's  formation;  second,  the  Creator's 
breath  which  already  had  permeated  the  original  clay  and  in- 
fused life  into  Adam;  third,  the  additional  breath  of  the 
Creator  whereby  woman's  framework  became  a  living  soul. 
The  two  latter  essences  might  have  fused  into  one,  but  it  re- 
mains vividly  clear  that  woman's  body  contained  more  of  the 
Eternal  essence  than  that  of  man.  Of  course,  that  would 
make  her  a  higher  moral  being  than  her  brother.  And  is  she 
not,  indeed,  more  susceptible  than  man  to  discern  right  and 
shun  wrong?  I  will  prove  this  in  her  acts  to  you. 

HER  PLATFORM. 

Investigations  have  long  ago  established  the  fact  that 
woman's  anatomy,  bulk  for  bulk,  contains  less  organic  and 
mineral  substances  than  that  of  man.  Hence,  she  usually  has 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  155 

smaller  structures,  less  strength,  less  brain  matter,  and  conse- 
quently less  mentality  and  reasoning  power  than  man.  But 
who  will  contradict  the  fact  that  woman  possesses  higher 
morality  than  man?  To  my  mind  this  is  an  axiom,  though 
probably  not  universally  known  and  accepted.  But  how  could 
it  be  othrwise,  if  she  received  double  breath  infusion  from  the 
Creator,  while  man  received  only  one? 

Statistics  show  that  woman  placed  in  positions  of  trust  has 
always  been  found  faithful.  Seldom  if  at  all  has  she  forged 
notes.  She  is  not  a  bank  defaulter  with  a  host  of  policemen 
and  detectives  seeking  her  whereabouts,  and  chasing  her  from 
city  to  city.  She  is  not  a  speculator  in  stock,  races  and  pugi- 
listic fights  with  other  people's  money  intrusted  to  her  care. 

Does  she  always  wreck  banks  and  insurance  companies, 
then  resign  to  evade  detection  and  arrest?  Isn't  it  a  fact  that 
woman  is  rarely  a  murderer,  gambler,  drunkard,  bigamist  or 
imposter?  I  do  admit  that  through  human  depravity  she  can, 
like  her  brother,  descend  to  the  lowest  level  and  drink  the 
dregs  from  the  cup  of  vice,  yet  even  at  the  bottom  of  the  pit  of 
degradation,  her  conscience  will  be  found  to  be  battling  fiercely 
against  the  monster  that  dragged  her  there.  She  will  make 
efforts  to  redeem  herself  and  start  again  toward  the  goal  of 
right.  She  will  neither  be  happy  nor  contented  down  in  that 
pit  of  debasement.  The  forces  of  evil  might  prevail  against 
her,  and  leave  her  bruised  and  bleeding,  but  her  desire  and 
effort  will  be  to  rise  and  live  in  the  limelight  of  reason  and 
conscience. 

A  little  careful  scrutiny  will  disclose  the  fact  that  more  than 
95  per  cent,  of  the  evil  suggestions  which  resulted  in  the  mis- 
conduct or  improper  behavior  on  woman's  part  originated  in 
man.  Is  not  this  statement  true?  Why,  then,  do  you  place 
the  blame  on  her?  Why  oppress  her  with  the  greater  part  of 
life's  sinful  burden?  Why  do  you  wrong  her  without  suitable 
redress?  Why  do  you  make  laws  oppressive  to  her,  and  keep 
those  laws  on  the  statue  books  without  repealing  them? 

As  she  constitutes  the  flower  of  society,  the  backbone  of  the 
church,  the  cream  of  every  community,  the  chief  object  of  love 
and  friendship,  the  center  of  affinity  and  attraction  in  the 


156  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

home  and  the  nursery  of  future  generations,  then  it  should  be 
the  popular  and  universal  consensus  of  opinion  that  woman 
should  be  properly  protected  at  any  cost.  Is  it  not  high  time 
that  men  in  the  tropics  and  islands  of  the  seas  should  awake 
to  the  realization  of  woman's  value  and  paramount  impor- 
tance? I  have  never  seen  any  place  where  there  is  such  little 
regard  and  respect  for  woman  as  here  in  Colon.  Wake  up,  ye 
dozing  and  snoring  sluggards !  Do  you  call  yourselves  men  ? 
If  so,  the  important  issue  of  woman's  protection  demands  im- 
mediate attention !  Wake  up  and  sleep  no  longer  over  this 
question. 

But  while  the  men  have  a  duty  to  perform,  every  woman 
should  assist  the  men  by  adopting  the  following  principles  as 
her  platform,  thereby  raising  high  the  moral  standard: 

1.  Every  woman  should  early  learn  this  most  important  rule 
as  guide  of  her  life — Always  Be  The  Wife  Before  Be- 
coming The  Mother.    Never  be  the  mother  first,  then  the 
wife  afterward.    Teach  this  principle  to  your  daughters ! 

2.  Every  woman  should  learn  to  wear  a  pleasing  smile.    Re- 
member that  it  enhances  grace  and  beauty. 

3.  Every  woman  should  be  taught  early  to  work,  and  also  to 
recognize  the   dignity  and  importance  of   labor  and  of 
being  independent.     She  should  know  household  duties, 
and  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  methods  of  domestic 
economy.     She  should  never  forget  that  it  is  ten  times 
more  dignified  and  honorable  to  do  any  sort  of  druggery 
work  for  a  living  than  to  be  richly  or  gorgeously  attired 
as  the  CONCUBINE  of  any  man,  whoever  he  may  be. 

4.  Woman's  health  is  of  the  most  important  national  asset. 
She  should  strive  to  be  healthy,  neat  and  tidy.    Beauty  is 
said  to  be  "skin  deep,"  but  "Cleanliness  Is  Next  To  God- 
liness."    This  cleanliness  is  never  secured  by  perfume, 
powders  and  cosmetics,  but  by  plenty  of  soap  and  the 
free  use  of  water.     A  woman  should  be  clean  in  dress, 
body  and  mind.    Her  tongue  should  be  a  perfect  stranger 
to  bad  and  profane  language ;  and  she  should  always  so 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  157 

demean  herself  that  she  might  receive  the  respect  to 
which  she  is  entitled.  She  should  strive  to  be  always  the 
"sweet  angel"  in  every  community.  Oh,  lovely  woman ! 
hold  high  your  head ! 

HER    PROTECTION. 

In  this,  the  dawn  of  the  2Oth  century,  a  NEW  MAGNA 
CHARTA  is  an  essential  need  in  every  community  for 
woman's  proper  protection,  if  the  world  is  to  advance  to  the 
high  and  lofty  plane  to  which  she  now  seems  destined.  Every 
tribe,  race  and  nation  should  agree  on  the  terms  of  a  High 
Tariff  Treaty  for  the  best  legal  and  moral  protection  of 
womanhood. 

Well,  you  might  ask  how  should  this  be  done  ?  I  cannot  say 
exactly  how  the  law  should  be  enforced,  or  its  routine  be  car- 
ried out.  But  some  law  to  this  effect  should  be  enacted.  My 
readers  will  pardon  me  for  referring  to  the  United  States  of 
America  as  the  country  where  woman  is  better  protected,  and 
consequently  more  highly  respected,  than  in  any  other  country. 
Do  you  ask  how  she  is  protected  there  ?  Well,  I  will  tell  you. 

Be  the  girl  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  old  or  young,  white 
or  colored,  the  man  who  seduces  and  ruins  her  runs  the  peril- 
ous risk  of  losing  his  life,  or  either  marrying  her  upon  her 
complaint,  or  be  sentenced  to  a  long  term  of  imprisonment,  as 
penalty  for  his  offence.  But  she  can  never  be  wronged,  and 
her  seducer  go  free  as  here,  unless  he  never  stops  running. 
And  in  many  instances,  after  the  ruined  daughter  lodges  her 
complaint,  if  the  father  or  brother  gets  to  the  seducer  before 
the  police  arrests  him,  then  something  awful  usually  happens, 
which  ends  in  great  injury  or  the  funeral  of  the  seducer. 

I  think  I  hear  you  say  that  such  drastic  measures  should 
never  be  inflicted  upon  a  man  who  seduces  a  young  woman, 
then  leaves  and  forsakes  her  with  her  burden  of  shame !  Ah ! 
but  it  serves  as  warning  to  others !  Does  it  not  hold  up  the 
evil  as  one  to  be  shunned?  And  if  the  ruined  daughter  hap- 
pens to  be  of  tender  years,  under  the  "age  of  consent"  and  her 
seducer  is  arrested  and  convicted,  he  is  usually  sentenced  by 


158  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

the  court  to  be  hung.  Seldom  have  mitigating  circumstances 
prevented  the  extreme  penalty  of  death  in  case  of  this  kind. 

No  man  in  official  position,  drawing  pay  from  the  United 
States  Government,  could  act  unseemly  toward  a  woman.  If 
so,  he  would  be  tried,  and  if  convicted,  he  would  be  dismissed 
from  the  service  for  "conduct  unbecoming  an  officer  or  a 
gentleman."  Reparation  is  usually  made  whenever  a  woman 
is  wronged  under  the  United  States  flag  regardless  of  whom 
the  offender  might  be.  And  if  anyone  uses  vulgar  or  profane 
language  there  in  the  presence  of  women  and  children,  such 
an  one  is  arrested  and  dealt  with  according  to  law.  Do  you 
say  such  laws  are  too  strict? 

Let  me  assure  you  whatever  you  might  think  to  the  con- 
trary, that  strict  laws  for  woman's  protection  produce  a  moral, 
healthy  and  wholesome  growth  in  any  community.  Boys  and 
men  learn  soon  to  behave  themselves  with  propriety,  or  suffer 
the  serious  consequences  that  follow  any  misconduct  of  that 
kind  on  their  part. 

On  the  contrary,  wherever  lax  and  inadequate  laws  exist 
for  woman's  proper  protection,  an  unhealthy  and  morally  low 
social  condition  must  of  necessity  exist.  And  may  God  have 
mercy  on  the  place  and  society  where  the  illegitimate  husband 
plays  the  gentleman,  and  his  unfortunate  victim  act  the  part  of 
the  lady;  where  the  illegitimate  birthrate  far  exceeds  that  of 
children  born  in  wedlock;  where  the  disease  of  concubinage 
scatters  its  deadly  germs  unchecked  by  some  legal  antiseptics, 
and  where  diseased  concubinants  are  called  and  considered 
"decent"  people.  For  what  social,  legal  or  moral  right  has 
this  class  of  people  to  call  themselves  "decent"?  Has  2,000 
years  of  social  and  religious  instruction  gone  for  naught? 

So  far  as  I  know,  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  for  a  couple 
living  in  concubinage  to  secure  lodging  in  any  hotel  or  private 
family  of  standing,  or  even  rent  a  house  in  most  of  the  States. 
Such  people  are  shunned,  spurned,  and  sometimes  stoned  out 
of  the  community.  They  are  never  considered  as  "decent" 
there.  That  is  the  way  woman  in  that  particular  is  treated  in 
Uncle  Sam's  territory,  and  I  hope  this  protection  will  follow 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  wherever  she  floats  in  the  breeze. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  159 

Preachers  and  others  interested  in  this  topic  of  woman's 
protection  should  everywhere  disrobe  themselves  of  their 
former  garb  of  narrowism  and  indifference  for  this  particular 
good.  They  should  interest  themselves  in  political  matters 
until  from  every  precinct  and  legislative  district  no  other  but 
the  very  highest  type  of  moral  men  will  be  selected  for  the 
legislature  to  enact  and  amend  laws  for  the  uplift  and  proper 
safeguard  of  the  people  in  general,  but  for  women  in  par- 
ticular. 

A  distinguished  statesman  said:  "A  good  and  capable  gov- 
ernment is  that  which  makes  it  easy  for  its  people  to  do  right, 
but  difficult  for  them  to  do  wrong."  And  I  think  the  time  has 
come  when  every  lax  government,  where  womanhood  is  un- 
protected, should  voluntarily  pull  down  its  flag  and  ask  a  more 
capable  nation  to  assume  control.  This  is  no  age  to  hide  weak- 
ness by  pretense.  Any  progressive  and  enlightened  people 
should  look  with  disdain  upon  a  high  illegitimate  birthrate  in 
their  midst;  but  parents  and  nation  alike  should  be  ashamed 
of  it,  and  strive  to  improve  and  protect  womanhood. 

Great  things  are  expected  of  this  young  Panamanian  Re- 
public. And  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  her  leaders  and  officers  will 
imitate  her  mighty  neighbor  in  good  work  and  advocate  and 
initiate  needed  reforms  for  woman's  protection,  and  disallow 
any  part  of  her  territory  to  be  used  for  concubinants,  or  as 
harbor  where  womanhood  shall  be  abused  or  degraded.  We 
congratulate  the  American  officers,  who  positively  disallowed 
concubinage  on  the  Canal  Zone  territory,  and  we  trust  this  ex- 
ample will  be  a  moral  lesson  for  delinquent  governments  in 
Central  America  and  those  West  Indian  Islands  where  this 
evil  is  prevalent. 

That  this  noble  lesson  be  taught  more  effectively,  we  hope 
the  heads  of  the  various  departments  of  the  United  States 
Government  operating  on  the  Zone,  and  other  firms  employing 
help,  would  instantly  dismiss  from  their  employment  any  man 
who  wrongs  a  poor  girl,  then  forsakes  and  leaves  her  to 
struggle  alone  with  the  burden  of  sorrow  and  shame.  I  do 
not  think  the  money  of  the  United  States  should  be  used  in 
paying  any  man  as  wages  whose  life  in  the  community  is  that 


l6o  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

of  debasing  womanhood,  whether  that  man  resides  in  Panama 
or  anywhere  else,  or  is  the  citizen,  subject  or  object  of  any 
known  government. 

The  Pope  of  Rome  declared  that  after  studying  the  dis- 
tinctive traits  of  the  various  nations,  he  has  found  that  "the 
Americans"  have  the  gift  of  tact  unknown  to  other  nation- 
alities. May  not  the  officers'  "gift  of  tact"  on  the  Zone  be 
used  to  uplift  and  promote  womanhood? 

HER    TREATMENT. 

A  famous  observer  and  writer  of  human  nature  said:  "I 
have  found,  with  few  exceptions,  that  woman  can  be  persuaded 
by  proper  treatment  to  do  right  always,  and  even  worship  the 
object  of  her  love  and  affection.  I  let  my  wife  believe  that 
she  is  the  sweetest  and  finest  angel  on  earth ;  that  she  is  almost 
incapable  of  doing  wilful  wrong;  that  she  has  one  of  the  big- 
gest and  greatest  hearts  among  women;  that  I  would  at  any 
time  entrust  my  life  to  her  care,  and  imperil  it  to  save  hers; 
that  I  was  really  fortunate  to  secure  her  as  my  wife ;  that  she 
should  have  been  born  a  princess,  but  I  really  thank  God  she 
was  not,  as  some  unworthy  man  in  high  official  life,  or  some 
worthless  prince  would  have  married  her  instead  of  me.  I 
always  spoke  kindly  to  her,  and  because  she  likes  roses,  I  gave 
her  occasionally  a  bunch  of  flowers;  consulted  her  in  matters 
of  importance,  and  found  that  her  suggestions  were  valuable 
and  often  indispensable.  What  do  you  think  was  the  result? 
My  wife  honors,  reverences  and  fairly  worships  me  in  return." 

I  believe  what  the  above  writer  said,  though  it  contains  a 
taint  of  flattery.  I  think  every  man  should  be  a  manly  man 
and  show  his  natural  colors.  Yes,  a  true  man  should  be  kind 
and  gentle  to  his  wife  and  polite  to  everybody.  Flattery,  to 
my  mind,  should  never  be  recommended,  but  from  experience 
I  agree  with  what  is  said  above,  as  a  little  sprinkling  of  it  does 
no  harm,  but  rather  a  deal  of  good  in  dealing  with  the  "queen 
of  the  home."  In  addition  to  it,  should  there  not  be  a  little 
playful  fondling?  And  an  occasional  surprise  in  little  gifts, 
praise  for  whatever  the  wife  does  well,  an  agreeable  look  and 
pleasant  smile  will  help  in  bringing  out  the  best  quality  thai 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  l6l 

is  in  a  woman.  A  true  man  should  see  that  only  the  smallest 
portion  of  his  troubles  falls  upon  his  wife. 

A  woman,  as  a  general  rule,  will  honor  and  respect  the  man 
in  return  who  loves  and  esteems  her  above  all  others,  because 
"love  wins  love."  There  is  one  very  important  point  to  bear 
in  mind  in  dealing  with  this  subject.  If  a  horseman  feeds  and 
cares  for  his  mare  while  she  is  in  fold,  and  refuses  to  work  her 
in  order  to  get  a  good  colt,  or  adopts  similar  methods  to  obtain 
the  best  offspring  in  other  dumb  animals,  how  much  more 
should  the  proper  care  be  taken  of  a  wife,  to  obtain  a  good 
specimen  and  perpetuate  the  best  specie  of  the  human  family? 

Should  not  the  would-be  mother  then  be  exempted  from 
hard  work,  druggery  and  toil?  Should  she  not  be  free  as 
much  as  possible  from  care,  worry,  sorrow,  anxiety,  perplexity 
and  weighty  responsibility  ?  Should  she  not  receive  extra  care, 
kindness,  attention,  thoughtfulness  and  such  other  considera- 
tions as  would  enhance  her  delight  and  happiness?  Is  this  the 
proper  time  for  a  poor  woman  to  be  cast  off,  starved,  abused, 
forsaken  and  left  to  sigh  alone,  weep  alone,  grieve  alone,  while 
her  seducer  walks  away  and  plays  the  "gentleman"  ?  What  do 
you  think  of  such  a  man?  Are  you  opposed,  then,  to  proper 
protective  laws  for  woman  ?  I  hear  you  say,  No !  no ! !  Do 
not  forget,  then,  the  following  rules,  which  every  man  should 
strive  to  observe : 

1.  Every  man  should  see  his  own  daughter,  wife,  sister  and 
mother   in   other   men's   daughters,    wives,    sisters    and 
mothers,  and  exercise  the  same  safeguard  for  the  latter 
protection  as  he  would  like  for  others  to  treat  his.    This 
is  the  criterion  of  conduct  that  constitutes  a  true  GEN- 
TLEMAN. 

2.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  woman  develops  the  nucleus, 
delivers  and  cares  for  the  young,  nutrifies  the  infant  and 
affords  the  greatest  pleasure  to  man;  and  as  such  she 
should  not  be  wronged.    Is  it  not  justice  that  severe  pun- 
ishment should  be  meted  out  to  the  man  who  degrades 
her? 


l62  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

3.  Indecent  and  profane  language  should  never  be  used  in 
the  presence  of  a  woman ;  and  the  man  who  hits  and  beats 
her  should  in  return  be  well  lashed  by  law.     The  man 
who  begets  children  then  forsakes  them  for  the  mother 
alone  to   struggle  and  care    for    them,    then    uses    his 
earnings  for  rum,  whisky,  cocktail  or  other  drinks,  while 
his  children  are  in  want  and  misery,  should  be  whipped  in 
a  public  square  for  his  cruel  and  heartless  offense. 

4.  "Each  girl  is  a  princess,  each  woman  is  queen.     Your 
duty  to  them  you  should  know." 


Cor,.  W.  C.  GORGAS,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  Army. 

The  chief  sanitary  officer  through  whose  skill  the  Canal  Zone  is  freed 
from  the  mosquito  pest  and  converted  into  a  health  resort.  His  inestimable 
service  facilitates  the  canal  work  and  renders  possible  the  completion  of  the 
stupendous  task.  Should  not  a  suitable  monument  be  erected  at  some 
public  place  on  the  Canal  Zone  to  commemorate  his  undying  fame  ?  Why 
wait  till  a  man  is  dead  to  cover  his  casket  and  hide  it  from  view  with  profu- 
sions of  wreaths  and  flowers  ?  Why  not  honor  his  name  and  give  him  a 
bunch  of  roses  while  he  lives  that  he  might  enjoy  it  ?  L/et  the  Nation  do  to 
the  Panama  Canal  scientists  what  was  done  for  Admiral  Dewey  for  annihi- 
lating the  Spanish  fleet  in  Manila  Bay,  because  their  achievements  deserve 
recognition . 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  UNITED  STATES  OFFER  MADE  TO  THE  REPUBLIC  OF  COLOMBIA. 

Prior  to  the  secession  of  Panama  the  United  States  of 
America  offered  to  purchase  the  Canal  Zone  territory  from 
the  Republic  of  Colombia,  for  the  purpose  of  digging  a 
canal,  by  the  following  act  of  Congress : 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled,  That 
the  President  of  the  United  States  is  hereby  authorized  to 
acquire,  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  United  States,  at  a  cost  not 
exceeding  forty  millions  of  dollars,  the  rights,  privileges, 
franchises,  concessions,  grants  of  land,  right  of  way,  unfin- 
ished work,  plants  and  other  property,  real,  personal  and 
mixed,  of  every  name  and  nature,  owned  by  the  New  Pan- 
ama Canal  Company,  of  France,  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
and  all  its  maps,  plans,  drawings,  records  on  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  and  in  Paris,  including  all  the  capital  stock,  not 
less,  however,  than  sixty-eight  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-three  shares  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Company,  owned 
by  or  held  for  the  use  of  said  Canal  Company,  provided  a 
satisfactory  title  to  all  of  said  property  can  be  obtained. 

"Sec.  2.  That  the  President  is  hereby  authorized  to  ac- 
quire from  the  Republic  of  Colombia,  for  and  on  behalf  of 
the  United  States,  upon  such  terms  as  he  may  deem  reason- 
able, perpetual  control  of  a  strip  of  land,  the  territory  of  the 
Republic  of  Colombia,  not  less  than  six  miles  in  width,  ex- 
tending from  the  Caribbean  Sea  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and 
the  right  to  use  and  dispose  of  the  waters  thereon,  and  to 
excavate,  construct,  and  to  perpetually  maintain,  operate 
and  protect  thereon  a  canal  of  such  depth  and  capacity  as 
will  afford  convenient  passage  of  ships  of  the  greatest  ton- 
nage and  draft  now  in  use,  from  the  Caribbean  Sea  to  the 
.Pacific  Ocean,  which  control  shall  include  the  right  to  per- 


l66  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

petually  maintain  and  operate  the  Panama  Railroad,  if  the 
ownership  thereof,  or  a  controlling  interest  therein,  shall 
have  been  acquired  by  the  United  States,  and  also  jurisdic- 
tion over  said  strip,  and  the  ports  at  the  end  thereof,  to 
make  such  police  and  sanitary  rules  and  regulations  as  shall 
be  necessary  to  preserve  order  and  preserve  the  public 
health  thereon,  and  to  establish  such  judicial  tribu- 
nals as  may  be  agreed  upon  thereon  as  may  be  necessary 
to  enforce  such  rules  and  regulations.  The  President  may 
acquire  such  additional  territory  and  rights  from  Colombia 
as  in  his  judgment  will  facilitate  the  general  purpose  hereof. 

"Sec.  3.  That  when  the  President  shall  have  arranged  to 
secure  a  satisfactory  title  to  the  property  of  the  New  Pan- 
ama Canal  Company,  as  provided  in  section  (i)  hereof,  and 
shall  have  obtained  by  treaty  control  of  the  necessary  ter- 
ritory from  the  Republic  of  Colombia  as  provided  in  section 
(2)  hereof,  he  is  authorized  to  pay  for  the  property  of  the  New 
Panama  Canal  Company  forty  millions  of  dollars,  and  to  the 
Republic  of  Colombia  such  sum  as  shall  have  been  agreed 
upon,  and  a  sum  sufficient  for  both  said  purposes  is  hereby 
appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not  other- 
wise appropriated,  to  be  paid  on  warrant  or  warrants  drawn 
by  the  President. 

''The  President  shall  then,  through  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission,  hereinafter  authorized,  cause  to  be  excavated, 
constructed  and  completed,  utilizing  to  that  end,  as  far  as 
practicable,  the  work  heretofore  done  by  the  New  Panama 
Canal  Company,  of  France,  and  its  predecessor  company,  a 
ship  canal  from  the  Caribbean  Sea  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Such  canal  shall  be  of  sufficient  capacity  and  depth  as  shall 
afford  convenient  passage  for  vessels  of  the  largest  tonnage 
and  greatest  draft  now  in  use,  and  such  as  may  be  reason- 
ably anticipated,  and  shall  be  supplied  with  all  necessary 
locks  and  other  appliances  to  meet  the  necessities  of  vessels 
passing  through  the  same  from  ocean  to  ocean ;  and  he  shall 
also  cause  to  be  constructed  such  safe  and  commodious 
harbors  at  the  termini  of  said  canal,  and  make  such  provi- 
sions for  defense  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  safety  and 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  167 

protection  of  said  canal  and  harbors ;  that  the  President  is 
authorized  for  the  purposes  aforesaid  to  employ  such  per- 
sons as  he  may  deem  necessary,  and  to  fix  their  compensa- 
tion. 

"Sec.  4.  That  should  the  President  be  unable  to  obtain 
for  the  United  States  a  satisfactory  title  to  the  property  of 
the  New  Panama  Canal  Company,  and  the  control  of  the 
necessary  territory  of  the  Republic  of  Colombia  and  the 
rights  mentioned  in  sections  I  and  2  of  this  Act,  within  a 
reasonable  time  and  upon  reasonable  terms,  then  the  Presi- 
dent, having  first  obtained  for  the  United  States  perpetual 
control  by  treaty  of  the  necessary  territory  from  Costa  Rica 
and  Nicaragua,  upon  terms  which  he  may  consider  reason- 
able, for  the  construction,  perpetual  maintenance,  operation 
and  protection  of  a  canal  connecting  the  Caribbean  Sea  with 
the  Pacific  Ocean  by  what  is  commonly  known  as  the  Nica- 
ragua route,  shall,  through  the  said  Isthmian  Canal  Com- 
mission, cause  to  be  excavated  and  constructed  a  ship  canal 
and  waterway  from  a  point  on  the  shore  of  the  Caribbean 
Sea  near  Greytown,  by  way  of  Lake  Nicaragua,  to  a  point 
near  Brito,  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Said  canal  shall  be  of 
sufficient  capacity  and  depth  to  afford  convenient  passage 
for  vessels  of  the  largest  tonnage  and  greatest  draft  now  in 
use,  and  such  as  may  be  reasonably  anticipated,  and  shall  be 
supplied  with  all  necessary  locks  and  other  appliances  to 
meet  the  necessities  of  vessels  passing  through  the  same 
from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  he  shall  also  construct  such  safe 
and  commodious  harbors  at  the  termini  of  said  canal  as 
shall  be  necessary  for  the  safe  and  convenient  use  thereof, 
and  shall  make  such  provisions  for  defense  as  may  be  nec- 
essary for  the  safety  and  protection  of  said  harbors  and 
canal ;  and  such  sum  or  sums  of  money  as  may  be  agreed 
upon  by  such  treaty  as  compensation  to  be  paid  to  Nica- 
ragua and  Costa  Rica  for  the  concessions  and  rights  here- 
under  provided  to  be  acquired  by  the  United  States  are 
hereby  appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not 
otherwise  appropriated,  to  be  paid  on  warrant  or  warrants 
drawn  by  the  President. 


l68  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"The  President  shall  cause  the  said  Isthmian  Canal  Com- 
mission to  make  such  surveys  as  may  be  necessary  for  said 
canal  and  harbor  to  be  made,  and  in  making  such  surveys 
and  in  the  construction  of  said  canal  may  employ  such  per- 
sons as  he  may  deem  necessary,  and  may  fix  their  compensa- 
tion. In  the  excavation  and  construction  of  said  canal  the 
San  Juan  River  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  or  such  parts  of  each 
as  may  be  made  available,  shall  be  used. 

"Sec.  5.  That  the  sum  of  ten  million  dollars  is  hereby 
appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not  other- 
wis.e  appropriated  toward  the  project  herein  contemplated 
by  either  route  to  be  selected.  And  the  President  is  hereby 
authorized  to  cause  to  be  entered  into  such  contract  or  con- 
tracts as  may  be  deemed  necessary  for  the  proper  excava- 
tion, construction,  completion  and  defense  of  said  canal, 
harbors  and  defenses,  by  the  route  finally  determined  upon 
under  the  provisions  of  this  Act. 

"Appropriations  therefor  shall  from  time  to  time  be  here- 
after made,  not  to  exceed  in  the  aggregate  the  additional 
sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  millions  of  dollars, 
should  the  Panama  route  be  adopted,  or  one  hundred  and 
eighty  millions  of  dollars,  should  the  Nicaragua  route  be 
adopted. 

"Sec.  6.  That  in  any  agreement  with  the  Republic  of  Co- 
lombia, or  with  the  States  of  Nicaragua  and  Costa  Rica,  the 
President  is  authorized  to  guarantee  to  said  Republic  or  to 
said  States  the  use  of  said  canal  and  harbors,  upon  such 
terms  as  may  be  agreed  upon,  for  all  vessels  owned  by  said 
States  or  by  citizens  thereof. 

"Sec.  7.  That  to  enable  the  President  to  construct  the 
canal,  and  works  and  appurtenances  thereto,  as  provided  in 
this  Act,  there  is  hereby  created  the  Isthmian  Canal  Com- 
mission, the  same  to  be  composed  of  seven  members,  who 
shall  be  nominated  and  appointed  by  the  President,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  and  who  shall 
serve  until  the  completion  of  said  canal,  unless  sooner  re- 
moved by  the  President,  and  one  of  whom  shall  be  named 
as  chairman  of  said  Commission.  Of  the  seven  members  of 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  169 

said  Commission,  at  least  four  of  them  shall  be  persons 
learned  and  skilled  in  the  science  of  engineering,  and  of  the 
four  at  least  one  shall  be  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  and  at  least  one  shall  be  an  officer  of  the  United 
States  Army,  and  said  officers  respectively  being  either 
upon  the  active  or  retired  list  of  the  Army  or  of  the  Navy. 
Said  Commissioners  shall  each  receive  such  compensation 
as  the  President  shall  prescribe  until  the  same  shall  have 
been  otherwise  fixed  by  the  Congress. 

''In  addition  to  the  members  of  said  Isthmian  Canal  Com- 
mission, the  President  is  hereby  authorized,  through  said 
Commission,  to  employ  in  said  service  any  cff  the  engineers 
of  the  United  States  Army  at  his  discretion,  and  likewise  to 
employ  any  engineer  in  civil  life  at  his  discretion,  and  any 
other  persons  necessary  for  the  proper  and  expeditious  prosecu- 
tion of  said  work.  The  compensation  of  all  such  engineers 
and  other  persons  employed  under  this  Act  shall  be  fixed  by 
said  Commission,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  President. 
The  official  salary  of  any  officer  appointed  or  employed 
under  this  act  shall  be  deducted  from  the  amount  of  salary 
or  compensation  provided  by  or  which  shall  be  fixed  under 
the  terms  of  this  Act.  Said  Commission  shall  in  all  matters 
be  subject  to  the  direction  and  control  of  the  President,  and 
shall  make  to  the  President  annually,  and  at  such  other 
periods  as  may  be  required,  either  by  law  or  by  the  order 
of  the  President,  full  and  complete  reports  of  all  their  act- 
ings and  doings  and  of  all  moneys  received  and  expended  in 
the  construction  of  said  work,  and  in  the  performance  of 
their  duties  in  connection  with,  which  said  reports  shall  be 
by  the  President  transmitted  to  Congress. 

"And  the  said  Commission  shall  furthermore  give  to  Con- 
gress, or  either  House  of  Congress,  such  information  as  may 
at  any  time  be  required,  either  by  act  of  Congress  or  by  the 
order  of  either  House  of  Congress.  The  President  shall 
cause  to  be  provided  and  assigned  for  the  use  of  the  Com- 
mission such  offices  as  may,  with  the  suitable  equipment  of 
same,  be  'necessary  and  proper,  in  his  discretion,  for  the 
proper  discharge  of  the  duties  thereof. 


I/O  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

"Sec.  8.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  is  hereby 
authorized  to  borrow  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States 
from  time  to  time,  as  the  proceeds  may  be  required  to  de- 
fray expenditures  authorized  by  this  act  (such  proceeds 
when  received  to  be  used  only  for  the  purpose  of  meeting 
such  expenditures),  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  mil- 
lion dollars,, or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary,  and 
to  prepare  and  issue  therefor  coupon  or  registered  bonds  of 
the  United  States,  in  such  form  as  he  may  prescribe,  and  in 
denominations  of  twenty  dollars  or  some  multiple  of  that 
sum,  in  gold  coin,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  United  States,  after 
ten  years  from  the  date  of  their  issue,  and  payable  thirty 
years  from  such  date,  and  bearing  interest  payable  quarterly 
in  gold  coin  at  the  rate  of  two  per  centum  per  annum ;  and 
the  bonds  herein  authorized  shall  be  exempt  from  all  taxes 
or  duties  of  the  United  States,  as  well  as  from  taxation  in 
any  form  by  or  under  state,  municipal  or  local  authority. 
Provided,  that  said  bonds  may  be  disposed  of  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  at  not  less  than  par,  under  such  regu- 
lations as  he  may  prescribe,  giving  to  all  citizens  of  the 
United  States  an  equal  opportunity  to  subscribe  therefor, 
but  no  commissions  shall  be  allowed  or  paid  theron ;  and  a 
sum  not  exceeding  one-tenth  of  one  per  centum  of  the 
amount  of  the  bonds  herein  authorized  is  hereby  appro 
priated,  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not  otherwise  ap- 
propriated, to  pay  the  expense  of  preparing,  advertising  and 
Jssuing  the  same." 

Approved  June  28,  1902. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


171 


THE  BANK  OF  THE  NATION. 

The  United  States  Treasury  which  supplies  the  money  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  digging  the  Panama  Canal.  This  massive  building  is  450  feet 
long  and  250  feet  wide.  Mr.  Hopkins,  of  Illinois,  introduced  a  bill  in 
Congress  authorizing  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  issue  $500,000,000  of 
bonds  to  build  the  Panama  Canal,  instead  of  the  $130,000,000  authorized  by 
the  Spoon er  L/aw  passed  when  the  Canal  was  bought  from  the  Republic  of 
Panama. 


172 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON   THE   PANAMA   CANAL 


Washington  Monument  is  555  feet  5l/%  inches  high. 
Wherever  one  goes  in  Washington,   D.   C.,    this  dominating 
feature  is  seen. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    PANAMA    TREATY. 

When  Panama  seceded  from  Colombia  and  established  her- 
self as  a  sovereign  state,  she  accepted  the  offer  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  embodied  in  the  Act  of  Congress  (Chapter 
16)  and  sold  the  right  to  the  American  Nation  to  build  the 
canal  under  the  following  treaty : 

PREAMBLE. 

"The  United  States  of  America  and  the  Republic  of  Panama 
being  desirous  to  insure  the  construction  of  a  ship  canal  across 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  connect  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
oceans,  and  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  of  America 
having  passed  an  act,  approved  June  28,  1902,  in  furtherance 
of  that  object,  by  which  the  President  of  the  United  States  is 
authorized  to  acquire  within  a  reasonable  time  the  control  of 
the  necessary  territory  of  the  Republic  of  Colombia,  and  the 
sovereignty  of  such  territory  being  actually  vested  in  the  Re- 
public of  Panama,  the  high  contracting  parties  have  resolved 
for  that  purpose  to  conclude  a  convention  and  have  accord- 
ingly appointed  as  their  plenipotentiaries — 

"The  President  of  the  United  States  of  America ;  John  Hay, 
Secretary  of  State, 

and 

"The  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Panama ;  Philippe 
Bunau-Varilla,  envoy  extraordinary  and  minister  plenipoten- 
tiary of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  thereunto  specially  empow- 
ered by  said  Government,  who,  after  communicating  with  each 
other  their  respective  full  powers,  found  to  be  in  good  and 
due  form,  have  agreed  upon  and  concluded  the  following 
articles : 

ARTICLE  I. 

"The  United  States  guarantees  and  will  maintain  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  Republic  of  Panama. 


174  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

ARTICLE   II. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  in 
perpetuity  the  use,  occupation  and  control  of  a  zone  of  land 
and  land  under  water  for  the  construction,  maintenance,  oper- 
ation, sanitation  and  protection  of  said  canal  of  the  width  of 
ten  miles,  extending  to  the  distance  of  five  miles  on  each  side 
of  the  center  line  of  the  route  of  the  canal  to  be  constructed; 
the  said  Zone  begining  in  the  Caribbean  Sea  three  marine 
miles  from  mean  low-water  mark  and  extending  to  and  across 
the  mean  low- water  mark,  with  the  proviso  that  the  cities  of 
Panama  and  Colon  and  the  harbors  adjacent  to  said  cities, 
which  are  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Zone  above 
described,  shall  not  be  included  within  this  grant.  The  Re- 
public of  Panama  further  grants  to  the  United  States  in  per- 
petuity the  use,  occupation  and  control  of  any  other  lands  and 
waters  outside  of  the  Zone  above  described  which  may  be 
necessary  and  convenient  for  the  construction,  maintenance, 
operation,  sanitation  and  protection  of  the  said  canal  or  of  any 
auxiliary  canals  or  other  works  necessary  and  convenient  for 
the  construction,  maintenance,  operation,  sanitation  and  pro- 
tection of  the  said  enterprise. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  further  grants  in  like  manner  to 
the  United  States  in  perpetuity  all  islands  within  the  limits  of 
the  Zone  above  described,  and  in  addition  thereto  the  group  of 
small  islands  in  the  Bay  of  Panama,  named  Perico,  Naos, 
Culebra  and  Flamenco. 

ARTICLE    III. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  all  the 
rights,  power  and  authority  within  the  Zone  mentioned  and 
described  in  Article  II  of  this  agreement  and  within  the  limits 
of  all  auxiliary  lands  and  waters  mentioned  and  described  in 
said  Article  II  which  the  United  States  would  possess  and  ex- 
ercise if  it  were  the  sovereign  of  the  territory  within  which 
said  lands  and  waters  are  located  to  the  entire  exclusion  of  the 
exercise  by  the  Republic  of  Panama  of  any  such  sovereign 
rights,  power  or  authority. 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  175 

ARTICLE    IV. 

"As  rights  subsidiary  to  the  above  grants  the  Republic  of 
Panama  grants  in  perpetuity  to  the  United  States  the  right  to 
use  the  rivers,  streams,  lakes  and  other  bodies  of  water  within 
its  limits  for  navigation,  the  supply  of  water  or  water  power 
or  other  purposes,  so  far  as  the  use  of  said  rivers,  streams, 
lakes  and  bodies  of  water  and  the  waters  thereof  may  be 
necessary  and  convenient  for  the  construction,  maintenance, 
operation,  sanitation  and  protection  of  the  said  canal. 

ARTICLE  v. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  in 
perpetuity  a  monopoly  for  the  construction,  maintenance  and 
operation  of  any  system  of  communication  by  means  of  canal 
or  railroad  across  its  territory  between  the  Caribbean  Sea  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

"The  grants  herein  contained  shall  in  no  manner  invalidate 
the  titles  or  rights  of  private  land-holders  or  owners  of  private 
property  in  the  said  Zone  or  in  or  to  any  of  the  lands  or  waters 
granted  to  the  United  States  by  the  provisions  of  any  article 
of  this  treaty,  nor  shall  they  interfere  with  the  rights  of  way 
over  the  public  roads  passing  through  the  said  Zone  or  over 
any  of  the  said  lands  or  waters  unless  said  rights  of  way  or 
private  rights  shall  conflict  with  rights  herein  granted  to  the 
United  States,  in  which  case  the  rights  of  the  United  States 
shall  be  superior.  All  damages  caused  to  the  owners  of  pri- 
vate lands  or  private  property  of  any  kind  by  reason  of  the 
grants  contained  in  this  treaty,  or  by  reason  of  the  operations 
of  the  United  States,  its  agents  or  employers,  or  by  reason  of 
the  construction,  maintenance,  operation,  sanitation  and  pro- 
tection of  the  said  canal  or  of  the  works  of  sanitation  and  pro- 
tection herein  provided  for,  shall  be  appraised  and  settled  by 
a  joint  commission  appointed  by  the  Governments  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Panama,  whose  decision  as 
to  such  damages  shall  be  final,  and  whose  awards  as  to  such 
damages  shall  be  paid  solely  by  the  United  States.  No  part 
of  tjie  work  on  said  canal  or  the  Panama  Railroad  or  on  any 


176  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

auxiliary  works  relating  thereto  and  authorized  by  the  terms 
of  this  treaty,  shall  be  prevented,  delayed  or  impeded  by  or 
pending  such  proceedings  to  ascertain  such  damages.  The 
appraisal  of  said  private  lands  and  private  property  and  the 
assessment  of  damages  to  them  shall  be  based  upon  their  value 
before  the  date  of  this  convention. 

ARTICLE    VII. 

''The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States 
within  the  limits  of  the  cities  of  Panama  and  Colon  and  their 
adjacent  harbors,  and  within  the  territory  adjacent  thereto, 
the  right  to  acquire  by  purchase,  or  by  the  exercise  of  the 
right  of  eminent  domain,  any  lands,  buildings,  water  rights 
or  other  properties  necessary  and  convenient  for  the  con- 
struction, maintenance,  operation  and  protection  of  the 
canal  and  of  any  works  of  sanitation,  such  as  the  collection 
and  disposition  of  sewage  and  the  distribution  of  water  in 
the  said  cities  of  Panama  and  Colon,  which,  in  the  discretion 
of  the  United  States,  may  be  necessary  and  convenient  for 
the  construction,  maintenance,  operation,  sanitation  and  pro- 
tection of  the  said  canal  and  railroad. 

"All  such  works  of  sanitation,  collection  and  disposition  of 
sewage  and  distribution  of  water  in  the  cities  of  Panama 
and  Colon  shall  be  made  at  the  expense  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  its  agents  or  nom- 
inees shall  be  authorized  to  impose  and  collect  water  rates 
and  sewerage  rates  which  shall  be  sufficient  to  provide  for 
the  payment  of  interest  and  the  amortization  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  cost  of  said  works  within  a  period  of  fifty  years, 
and  upon  the  expiration  of  said  term  of  fifty  years  the  sys- 
tem of  sewers  and  water  works  shall  revert  to  and  become 
the  properties  of  the  cities  of  Panama  and  Colon,  respec- 
tively, and  the  use  of  the  water  shall  be  free  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Panama  and  Colon,  except  to  the  extent  that  water 
rates  may  be  necessary  for  the  operation  and  maintenance 
of  said  system  of  sewers  and  water. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  agrees  that  the  cities  of  Pan- 
ama and  Colon  shall  comply  in  perpetuity  with  the  sanitary 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  177 

ordinances,  whether  of  a  preventive  or  curative  character, 
prescribed  by  the  United  States,  and  in  case  the  Government 
of  Panama  is  unable  or  fails  in  its  duty  to  enforce  this  com- 
pliance by  the  cities  of  Panama  and  Colon  with  the  sanitary 
ordinances  of  the  United  States,  the  Republic  of  Panama 
grants  to  the  United  States  the  right  and  authority  to  en- 
force the  same. 

"The  same  right  and  authority  are  granted  to  the  United 
States  for  the  maintenance  of  public  order  in  the  cities  of 
Panama  and  Colon,  and  the  territories  and  harbors  adjacent 
thereto,  in  case  the  Republic  of  Panama  should  not  be,  in 
the  judgment  of  the  United  States,  able  to  maintain  such 
order. 

ARTICLE    VIII. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  all 
rights  which  it  now  has  or  hereafter  may  acquire  to  the 
property  of  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company  and  the  Pan- 
ama Railroad  Company  as  a  result  of  the  transfer  of  sover- 
eignty from  the  Republic  of  Colombia  to  the  Republic  of 
Panama  over  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  authorizes  the 
New  Panama  Canal  Company  to  sell  and  transfer  to  the 
United  States  its  rights,  privileges,  properties  and  conces- 
sions, as  well  as  the  Panama  Railroad  and  all  the  shares  or 
part  of  the  shares  of  that  company ;  but  the  public  lands  sit- 
uated outside  of  the  Zone  described  in  Article  II.  of  this 
treaty,  now  included  in  the  concessions  to  both  said  enter- 
prises, and  not  required  in  the  construction  or  operation  of 
the  canal,  shall  revert  to  the  Republic  of  Panama,  except 
any  property  now  owned  by  or -in  the  possession  of  said 
companies  within  Panama  or  Colon  or  the  ports  or  termi- 
nals thereof. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

"The  United  States  agrees  that  the  ports  at  either  en- 
trance of  the  canal  and  the  waters  thereof,  and  the  Republic 
of  Panama  agrees  that  the  towns  of  Panama  and  Colon, 
shall  be  free  for  all  time,  so  that  there  shall  not  be  imposed 
or  collected  custom-house  tolls,  tonnage,  anchorage,  light- 


178  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

house,  wharf  pilot  or  quarantine  dues,  or  any  charges  or 
taxes  of  any  kind  upon  any  vessel  using  or  passing  through 
the  canal,  or  belonging  to  or  employed  by  the  United  States, 
directly  or  indirectly,  in  connection  with  the  construction, 
maintenance,  operation,  sanitation  and  protection  of  the 
main  canal,  or  auxiliary  works,  or  upon  the  cargo,  officers, 
crew  or  passengers  of  any  such  vessels,  except  such  tolls 
and  charges  as  may  be  imposed  by  the  United  States  for  the 
use  of  the  canal  and  other  works,  and  except  tolls  and 
charges  imposed  by  the  Republic  of  Panama  upon  merchan- 
dise destined  to  be  introduced  for  the  consumption  of  the 
rest  of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  upon  vessels  touching 
at  the  ports  of  Colon  and  Panama  and  which  do  not  cross 
the  canal. 

"The  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall  have 
the  right  to  establish  in  such  ports  and  in  the  towns  of  Pan- 
ama and  Colon  such  houses  and  guards  as  it  may  deem  nec- 
essary to  collect  duties  on  importations  destined  to  other 
portions  of  Panama  and  to  prevent  contraband  trade.  The 
United  States  shall  have  the  right  to  make  use  of  the  towns 
and  harbors  of  Panama  and  Colon  as  places  of  anchorage, 
and  for  making  repairs,  for  loading,  unloading,  depositing 
or  transhipping  cargoes,  either  in  transit  or  destined  for  the 
service  of  the  canal  and  for  other  works  pertaining  to  the 
canal. 

ARTICLE  x. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  agrees  that  there  shall  not  be 
imposed  any  taxes,  national,  municipal,  departmental  or  of 
any  other  class,  upon  the  canal,  the  railways  and  auxiliary 
works,  tugs  and  other  vessels  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
canal,  storehouses,  workshops,  offices,  quarters  for  laborers, 
factories  of  all  kinds,  warehouses,  wharves,  machinery  and 
other  works,  property  and  effects  appertaining  to  the  canal 
or  railroad  and  auxiliary  works,  or  their  officers,  employes 
situated  within  the  cities  of  Panama  and  Colon,  and  that 
there  shall  not  be  imposed  contributions  or  charges  of  a  per- 
sonal character  of  any  kind  upon  officers,  employes,  laborers 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  1/9 

and  other  individuals  in  the  service  of  the  canal  and  railroad 
and  auxiliary  works. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

"The  United  States  agrees  that  the  official  dispatches  of 
the  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall  be  trans- 
mitted over  any  telegraph  and  telephone  lines  established 
for  canal  purposes  and  used  for  public  and  private  business 
at  rates  not  higher  than  those  required  from  officials  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE    XII. 

"The  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall  per- 
mit the  immigration  and  free  access  to  the  lands  and  work- 
shops of  the  canal  and  its  auxiliary  works  of  all  employes 
and  workmen,  of  whatever  nationality,  under  contract  to 
work  upon  or  seeking  employment  upon  or  in  any  wise  con- 
nected with  the  said  canal  and  its  auxiliary  works,  with 
their  respective  families,  and  all  such  persons  shall  be  free 
and  exempt  from  the  military  service  of  the  Republic  of 
Panama. 

ARTICLE   XIII. 

"The  United  States  may  import  at  any  time  into  the  said 
Zone  and  auxiliary  lands,  free  of  custom  duties,  imposts, 
taxes  or  other  charges,  and  without  any  restrictions,  any 
and  all  vessels,  dredges,  engines,  cars,  machinery,  tools,  ex- 
plosive, materials,  supplies  and  other  articles  necessary  and 
convenient  in  the  construction,  maintenance,  operation,  san- 
itation and  protection  of  the  canal  and  auxiliary  works,  and 
all  provisions,  medicines,  clothing,  supplies,  and  other 
things  necessary  and  convenient  for  the  officers,  employes, 
workmen  and  laborers  in  the  service  and  employ  of  the 
United  States,  and  for  their  families.  If  any  such  articles 
are  disposed  of  for  use  outside  the  Zone  and  auxiliary  lands 
granted  to  the  United  States,  and  within  the  territory  of  the 
Republic,  they  shall  be  subject  to  the  same  import  or  other 
duties  as  like  articles  imported  under  the  laws  of  the  Re- 
public of  Panama. 


180  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

ARTICLE    XIV. 

"As  the  price  of  compensation  for  the  rights,  powers  and 
privileges  granted  in  this  convention  by  the  Republic  of  Pan- 
ama to  the  United  States,  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  agrees  to  pay  to  the  Republic  of  Panama  the  sum  of 
ten  million  dollars  ($10,000,000)  in  gold  coin  of  the  United 
States  on  the  exchange  of  the  ratification  of  this  convention, 
and  also  an  annual  payment  during  the  life  of  this  convention 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  ($250,000)  in  like 
gold  coin,  beginning  nine  years  after  the  date  aforesaid. 

"The  provisions  of  this  article  shall  be  in  addition  to  all 
other  benefits  assured  to  the  Republic  of  Panama  under  this 
convention.  But  no  delay  or  difference  of  opinion  under  this 
article  or  any  other  provisions  of  this  treaty  shall  affect  or 
interrupt  the  full  operation  and  effect  of  this  convention  in  all 
other  respects. 

ARTICLE    XV. 

"The  joint  commission  referred  to  in  Article  VI  shall  be 
established  as  follows :  The  President  of  the  United  States 
shall  nominate  two  persons  and  the  President  of  the  Republic 
of  Panama  shall  nominate  two  persons,  and  they  shall  proceed 
to  a  decision ;  but  in  case  of  disagreement  of  the  commission 
(by  reason  of  their  being  equally  divided  in  conclusion),  an 
umpire  shall  be  appointed  by  the  two  Governments  who  shall 
render  the  decision.  In  the  event  of  the  death,  absence,  or 
incapacity  of  a  commissioner  or  umpire,  or  of  his  omitting, 
declining  or  ceasing  to  act,  his  place  shall  be  filled  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  another  person  in  the  manner  above  indicated 
All  decisions  by  a  majority  of  the  commission  or  by  the  umpire 
shall  be  final. 

ARTICLE    XVI. 

"The  two  Governments  shall  make  adequate  provision  by 
future  agreement  for  the  pursuit,  capture,  imprisonment,  de- 
tention and  delivery  within  said  Zone  and  auxiliary  lands  to 
the  authorities  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  of  persons  charged 
with  the  commitment  of  crimes,  felonies,  and  misdemeanors 
without  said  Zone  and  auxiliary  lands. 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  l8l 

ARTICLE    XVII. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  the 
use  of  all  the  ports  of  the  Republic  open  to  commerce  as 
places  of  refuge  for  any  vessels  employed  in  the  canal  enter- 
prise, and  for  all  vessels  passing  or  bound  to  pass  through  the 
canal  which  may  be  in  distress  and  be  driven  to  seek  refuge 
in  said  ports.  Such  vessels  shall  be  exempt  from  anchorage 
and  tonnage  dues  on  the  part  of  the  Republic  of  Panama. 

ARTICLE    XVIII. 

"The  canal,  when  constructed,  and  the  entrances  thereto 
shall  be  neutral  in  perpetuity,  and  shall  be  opened  upon  the 
terms  provided  for  by  Section  i  of  Article  III,  and  in  con- 
formity with  all  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  entered  into  by 
the  Governments  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  on 
November  18,  1901. 

ARTICLE    XIX. 

"The  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall  have  the 
right  to  transport  over  the  canal  its  vessels  and  its  troops  and 
munitions  of  war  in  such  vessels  at  all  times  without  paying 
charges  of  any  kind.  The  exemption  is  to  be  extended  to  the 
auxiliary  railway  for  the  transportation  of  persons  in  the 
service  of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  or  of  the  police  force 
charged  with  the  preservation  of  public  order  outside  of  said 
Zone,  as  well  as  to  their  baggage,  munitions  of  war  and  sup- 
plies. 

ARTICLE  xx. 

"If  by  virtue  of  any  existing  treaty  in  relation  to  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  whereof  the  obligations  shall 
descend  or  be  assumed  by  the  Republic  of  Panama,  there  may 
be  any  privilege  or  concession  in  favor  of  the  Government  or 
the  citizens  or  subjects  of  a  third  power  relative  to  an  inter- 
oceanic  means  of  communication  which  in  any  of  its  terms 
may  be  incompatible  with  the  terms  of  the  present  convention, 
the  Republic  of  Panama  agrees  to  cancel  or  modify  such  treaty 
in  due  form,  for  which  purpose  it  shall  give  to  the  said  third 
power  the  requisite  notification  within  the  term  of  four  months 


l82  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

from  the  date  of  the  present  convention,  and  in  case  the  exist- 
ing treaty  contains  no  clause  permitting  its  modifications  or 
annulment,  the  Republic  of  Panama  agrees  to  procure  its  modi- 
fication or  annullment  in  such  form  that  there  there  shall  not 
exist  any  conflict  with  the  stipulations  of  the  present  con- 
vention. 

ARTICLE    XXI. 

"The  rights  and  privileges  granted  by  the  Republic  of  Pan- 
ama to  the  United  States  in  the  preceding  articles  are  under- 
stood to  be  free  of  all  anterior  debts,  liens,  trusts  or  liabilities, 
or  concessions  or  privileges  to  other  governments,  corporations, 
syndicates  or  individuals,  and,  consequently,  if  there  should 
arise  any  claims  on  account  of  the  present  concesssions  and 
privileges  or  otherwise,  the  claimants  shall  resort  to  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  Republic  of  Panama  and  not  to  the  United 
States  for  any  indemnity  or  compromise  which  may  be  re- 
quired. 

ARTICLE    XXII. 

"The  Republic  of  Panama  renounces  and  grants  to  the 
United  States  the  participation  to  which  it  might  be  entitled 
in  the  future  earnings  of  the  canal  under  Article  XV  of  the 
concessionary  contract  with  Lucien  N.  B.  Wyse,  now  owned 
by  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company,  and  any  and  all  other 
rights  or  claims  of  a  pecuniary  nature  arising  under  or  relating 
to  said  concession,  or  arising  under  or  relating  to  the  conces- 
sions to  the  Panama  Railroad  Company,  or  any  extension  or 
modification  thereof ;  and  it  likewise  renounces,  confirms  and 
grants  to  the  United  States,  now  and  hereafter,  all  the  rights 
and  property  reserved  in  the  said  concessions  which  otherwise 
would  belong  to  Panama  at  or  before  the  expiration  of  the 
terms  of  ninety-nine  years  of  the  concessions  granted  to  or 
held  by  the  above-mentioned  party  and  companies,  and  all 
right,  title  and  interest  which  it  now  has,  or  may  hereafter 
have,  in  and  to  the  lands,  canal,  works,  property  and  rights 
held  by  the  said  companies  under  said  concessions  or  other- 
wise, and  acquired  or  to  be  acquired  by  the  United  States  from 
or  through  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company,  including  any 
property  and  rights  which  might  or  may  in  the  future  either 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  183 

by  lapse  of  time,  forfeiture  or  otherwise,  revert  to  the  Republic 
of  Panama  under  any  contracts  or  concessions,  with  said 
Wyse,  the  Universal  Panama  Canal  Company,  the  Panama 
Railroad  Company  and  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company. 

''The  aforesaid  rights  and  property  shall  be  and  are  free  and 
released  from  any  present  or  reversionary  interest  in  or  claims 
of  Panama  and  the  title  of  the  United  States  thereto  upon 
consummation  of  the  contemplated  purchase  by  the  United 
States  from  the  New  Panama  Canal  Company,  shall  be  abso- 
lute, so  far  as  concerns  the  Republic  of  Panama,  excepting 
always  the  rights  of  the  Republic  specially  secured  under  this 
treaty. 

ARTICLE    XXIII. 

"If  it  should  become  necessary  at  any  time  to  employ  forces 
for  the  safety  or  protection  of  the  canal,  or  of  the  ships  that 
make  use  of  the  same,  or  the  railways  and  auxiliary  works, 
the  United  States  shall  have  the  right,  at  all  times  and  in  its 
discretion,  to  use  its  police  and  its  land  and  naval  forces,  or 
to  establish  fortifications  for  these  purposes. 

ARTICLE    XXIV. 

"No  change  either  in  the  government  or  in  the  laws  and 
treaties  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall,  without  the  consent 
of  the  United  States,  affect  any  right  of  the  United  States 
under  the  present  convention,  or  under  any  treaty  stipulation 
between  the  .two  countries  that  now  exists  or  may  hereafter 
exist  touching  the  subject-matter  of  this  convention. 

"If  the  Republic  of  Panama  shall  hereafter  enter  as  a  con- 
stituent into  any  other  Government,  or  into  any  union  or 
confederation  of  states,  so  as  to  merge  her  sovereignty  or  inde- 
pendence in  such  government,  union  or  confederation,  the 
rights  of  the  United  States  under  this  convention  shall  not  be 
in  any  respect  lessened  or  impaired 

ARTICLE    XXV. 

"For  the  better  performance  of  the  engagements  of  this  con- 
vention and  to  the  end  of  the  efficient  protection  of  the  canal 
and  the  preservation  of  its  neutrality,  the  Government  of  the 
Republic  of  Panama  will  sell  or  lease  to  the  United  States 


184  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

lands  adequate  and  necessary  for  naval  or  coaling  stations  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  and  on  the  Western  Caribbean  coast  of  the 
Republic  at  certain  points  to  be  agreed  upon  with  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE    XXVI. 

"This  convention,  when  signed  by  the  plenipotentiaries  of 
the  contracting  parties,  shall  be  ratified  by  the  respective  Gov- 
ernments and  the  ratifications  shall  be  exchanged  at  Wash- 
ington at  the  earliest  date  possible." 


This  Treaty  was  signed  at  Washington  on  November  18. 
1903,  and  by  the  Republic  of  Panama  on  December  2,  1903, 
and  by  the  United  States  Senate  on  February  23,  1904. 


1 86 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


The  Culebra  Cut  is  the  gigantic  dividing  barrier  between  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  Oceans.  In  looking  at  the  sides  of  this  Cut,  it  appears  as  if 
every  color  of  rocks  enter  into  its  formation.  Stratas  of  gray  rock,  granite 
rock,  calcarious  rock,  trap  rock,  etc.,  meet  the  gaze.  Layers  of  clay  of 
different  textures  can  be  seen.  When  I  visited  Culebra,  this  mighty  Cut 
was  between  650  and  700  feet  deep.  At  Contractors'  Hill  26  tons  of  dyna- 
mite were  used  once  for  the  "Famous  Blasting"  on  this  "Mount  of 
Death."  The  blasting  is  done  chiefly  at  noon  and  night  when  the  workers 
are  gone  away,  so  as  to  avoid  accident  and  loss  of  life. 

In  the  fall  of  1907  President  Roosevelt  authorized  the  widening  from 
200  to  300  feet  through  the  Culebra  Cut  from  Las  Cascades  to  Paraiso,  a  dis- 
tance of  four  and  one-half  miles.  The  reason  for  this  change  was  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  more  room  in  the  completed  Canal  to  vessels  passing 
through  that  section  at  night  and  lessening  the  danger  of  collisions  which 
might  result  from  the  narrowness  of  the  waterway. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    GREAT    WORK    AT    THE   GATUN    DAM. 

Gatun  Dam  and  the  Culebra  Cut  are  the  two  points  of  mar- 
vel and  interest  along  the  Canal  waterawy.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  vastness  of  the  work  on  the  Gatun  Dam,  I  quote 
from  the  Canal  Record  of  Janary  6,  1909,  the  follow- 
ing authentic  report  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission : 

"The  building  of  the  Gatun  Dam  was  begun  on  December 
24,  when  the  2o-inch  suction  dredge,  No.  82,  was  set  at  work 
pumping  sandy  clay  from  a  point  2,000  feet  north  of  the  dam 
site. into  the  channel  of  the  old  French  Canal.  The  part  of 
the  dam  on  which  the  fill  is  in  progress  is  that  embraced  be- 
tween the  lock  site,  on  the  east  slope  of  the  Chagres  valley  at 
Gatun,  and  the  hill  through  which  the  spillway  is  being  built, 
known  as  Gatun  Island.  From  the  hills  on  the  east  to  those  on 
the  west  the  dam  will  be  about  il/2  miles  long;  the  space 
between  the  rock  toes  is  1,200  feet  in  width;  the  top  of  the 
dam,  according  to  the  present  plans,  will  be  at  135  feet  above 
sea-level,  and  the  lowest  level  of  the  water  impounded  in 
Gatun  Lake  will  be  at  85  feet. 

"A  toe  of  Bas  Obispo  rock  has  been  built  from  a  point  near 
the  lock  site  to  the  spillway  on  the  south  side,  and  a  similar  toe 
has  been  built  on  the  north  side,  the  distance  between  the  two 
toes  being  1,200  feet.  Suitable  material  pumped  into  the  space 
between  these  two  toes  will  form  the  dam.  In  the  course  oft.a 
month  dredge  No.  83  will  be  set  at  work,  and  later  the  dredge 
that  is  working  on  the  north  lock  site  will  be  used  in  dam  con- 
struction. Each  of  these  dredges,  pumping  such  material  as 
is  required  for  the  dam,  should  be  able  to  deliver  150,000  cubic 
yards  a  month,  or  over  5,000,000  cubic  yards  a  year.  The  total 
fill  to  be  made  is  about  21,000,000  cubic  yards. 

"Before  the  dam  material  is  pumped  into  the  site  the  sur- 
face soil  is  removed.  In  the  channel  of  the  old  French  canal, 
where  the  fill  is  being  made,  the  surface  soil  was  washed 


l88  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

down  until  a  suitable  foundation  for  the  hydraulic  material 
was  procured.  A  steam  shovel  is  at  work  excavating  the  top 
soil  in  a  strip  600  feet  wide  running  across  the  valley,  and  the 
vegetation  will  be  removed  from  all  the  area  between  the  toes 
of  the  dam.  Two  lo-inch  centrifugal  pumps,  driven  by  old 
French  engines,  are  at  work  unwatering  the  old  French  chan- 
nel while  the  filling  is  in  progress. 

"1,300,000  b.  m.  feet  of  sheet  piling  arrived  on  the  Isthmus, 
and  part  of  it  has  been  delivered  at  Gatun.  This  piling  is  to 
be  driven  down  into  impermeable  material  across  the  valley 
along  the  axis  of  the  dam,  thus  forming  a  water-tight  core 
below  the  bottom  of  the  hydraulic  fill. 

"The  part  of  the  dam  that  will  extend  from  the  west  wall  of 
the  spillway  to  the  hill  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  cannot 
be  built  until  the  Chagres  River,  which  now  runs  through  a 
diversion  channel  between  the  spillway  and  the  hills,  has  been 
turned  through  the  spillway,  and  this  will  not  be  done  until 
the  concrete  work  in  the  spillway  has  been  completed  above 
the  high-water  line.  Meanwhile,  a  trestle  is  being  built  across 
the  spillway  from  the  east  side  in  order  that  the  north  toe  may 
be  extended  as  far  as  the  diversion  channel.  The  building  of 
the  toe  on  either  side  of  the  diversion  channel  will  be  con- 
tinued, and  a  gap  broad  enough  for  the  river  to  pass  through 
will  be  left,  to  be  filled  up  as  soon  as  the  river  is  diverted  into 
the  spillway. 

THE   SPILLWAY. 

"The  spillway  extends  through  a  small  hill  that  rises  in  the 
middle  of  the  dam  site.  Excavation  for  the  north  section  is 
practically  completed,  only  a  few  more  days  for  work  remain- 
ing for  the  two  steam  shovels  now  operating  there.  The  work 
of  lining  the  channel  with  concrete  will  be  begun  in  February. 
Only  that  part  between  the  north  toe  and  the  point  where  the 
regulating  works  will  be  located,  a  channel  1,200  feet  long  and 
300  feet  wide,  will  be  lined  during  the  present  dry  season. 
The  heavier  masonry  will  begin  at  the  regulating  works  and 
extend  south,  forming  part  of  the  spillway  channel  and  the 
entrance  to  it.  Concrete  work  in  the  spillway  will  involve  the 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  189 

laying  of  over  250,000  cubic  yards  of  concrete,  and  will  extend 
over  a  period  of  three  years. 

"In  the  part  of  the  channel  that  will  be  lined  this  season  the 
floor  will  be  four  feet  thick  and  the  walls  will  extend  20  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  floor.  The  west  wall  will  be  built 
first,  after  which  the  floor  and  east  wall  will  be  constructed. 
Each  wall  will  be  eight  feet  thick  at  the  top  of  the  floor,  and 
on  the  back  will  rise  in  four  steps  to  a  thickness  of  three  feet 
at  the  top.  The  face  will  be  on  a  I  to  10  slope.  Ninety  thou- 
sand cubic  yards  are  to  be  laid  in  this  section,  and  it  is  ex- 
pected that  the  work  will  be  done  at  the  rate  of  500  cubic 
yards  a  day.  The  forms  have  already  been  built,  and  they 
provide  for  the  laying  of  concrete  in  monoliths  40  feet  long  by 
200  feet  wide.  The  heaviest  pieces  of  the  forms  for  the  walls 
weigh  4,800  pounds  and  will  be  handled  by  a  locomotive  crane 
operating  in  the  spillway  on  tracts  parallel  to  the  sides. 

"The  concrete  handling  and  mixing  plant  for  the  spillway 
is  distinct  from  the  plant  which  is  being  built  for  the  locks. 
A  dock  has  been  erected  on  the  old  French  canal  just  south  of 
the  south  toe.  Cement,  sand  and  rock  will  be  delivered  along- 
side the  dock  in  barges  towed  up  from  Cristobal.  The  first 
shipment  of  cement  has  arrived,  and  shipments  of  2,000  bar- 
rels will  be  made  from  the  States  at  intervals  of  five  days  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  work.  A  locomotive  crane  operating 
along  the  front  of  the  dock  will  handle  the  cement  from  the 
boats  to  the  storage  sheds,  and,  by  means  of  a  clam-shell 
bucket,  will  likewise  unload  the  sand  and  rock. 

"Cars  on  a  belt  line  railway,  running  beneath  the  dock,  will 
be  filled  by  gravity  with  sand,  cement  and  rock  in  succession, 
and  when  loaded  they  will  be  pulled  up  by  cable  an  incline  24 
feet  high  to  a  platform  above  the  mixers.  Two  mixers  with  a 
capacity  of  two  cubic  yards  each,  driven  by  an  old  French 
engine,  which  will  develop  75  horsepower,  will  mix  the  materials. 
From  the  mixers  the  concrete  will  be  dumped  into  two  2-yard 
buckets  equipped  with  bottom  dumps,  and  carried  on  flat  cars 
built  especially  for  that  purpose.  These  cars  will  run  over  a 
railroad  4,000  feet  long  to  the  spillway,  where  the  buckets  will 
be  lifted  from  the  cars  by  a  locomotive  crane,  and  the  material 


190  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE   PANAMA   CANAL 

will  be  placed.  There  will  be  two  tracks  between  the  mixing 
plant  and  the  spillway,  one  on  which  the  loaded  cars  will  run 
to  the  forms,  and  the  other  for  taking  back  the  'empties.'  Five 
hundred  cubic  yards  of  concrete  will  be  handled  each  day. 

GATUN    LOCKS. 

"At  the  end  of  the  year  1908  the  amount  of  material  that 
had  been  excavated  from  the  site  of  the  locks  at  Gatun  was 
2,789,734  cubic  yards,  and  the  excavation  is  more  than  half 
done.  The  work  was  begun  in  October,  1906,  and  for  three 
months  of  that  year  it  amounted  to  26,628  cubic  yards.  In 
1907  the  excavation  was  1,107,559  cubic  yards,  and  in  1908  it 
amounted  to  1,655,547  cubic  yards.  Up  to  the  present  time  all 
the  work  has  been  done  by  steam  shovels.  Dredge  No.  85, 
one  of  the  2O-inch  suction  dredges,  is  now  cutting  its  way  into 
the  site  of  the  north  or  lowest  locks,  and  it  will  take  about 
400,000  cubic  yards  from  this  chamber.  Excavation  in  the 
south  or  upper  chamber  is  practically  completed.  Work  on 
the  plant  for  handling  materials,  mixing  and  placing  concrete 
is  making  rapid  progress. 

"At  the  power-house  site  the  excavation  for  the  intake  tun- 
nel is  finished,  and  the  work  of  laying  concrete  will  soon  begin. 
The  steel  work  for  the  floor  of  the  turbine  room  has  been  de- 
livered, and  part  of  the  electrical  machinery  is  on  the  ground. 

"About  2,250,000  barrels  of  cement  will  be  used  in  the  con- 
crete work  for  the  locks,  and  about  2,000,000  cubic  yards  of 
concrete  will  be  laid.  Stone  for  the  concrete  will  be  quarried 
and  crushed  at  Porto  Bello,  a  harbor  on  the  Caribbean  Sea 
about  fifteen  miles  east  of  Colon,  and  will  be  towed  in  barges 
to  Cristobal,  thence  up  the  old  French  canal  to  the  docks  now 
in  process  of  construction  at  Gatun.  Sand  will  be  carried 
from  a  village  a  few  miles  east  of  Porto  Bello,  and  delivered 
in  the  same  manner  at  Gatun.  Cement  will  be  delivered  at 
New  York  harbor  by  the  contractor  and  brought  to  the  Isth- 
mus in  ships  owned  by  the  Panama  Railroad  Company.  It 
will  be  carried  in  lighters  to  the  Gatun  docks. 

"The  materials  will  be  handled  from  the  barges  at  the  docks 
and  delivered  at  storage  bins  by  cableways.  From  the  bins  the 


SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  19 1 

sand,  rock  and  cement  will  be  run  by  gravity  into  electric 
cars,  which  will  convey  them  to  the  mixers.  The  concrete  will 
be  dropped  from  the  mixers  into  cars  in  which  it  will  be  deliv- 
ered at  various  points  along  the  lock  site.  Cableways  stretch- 
ing across  the  lock  chambers  will  then  lift  the  concrete  from 
the  cars  and  deliver  it  at  the  points  desired." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  COMPLETION  OF  THE  PANAMA  CANAL. 

Numerous  in  our  day  are  persons  with  pessimistic  views. 
They  would  not  see  any  other  but  the  dark  side  of  any  picture. 
And  it  is  quite  natural  that  this  class  of  people  would  have 
something  to  say  on  the  important  topics  of  the  day.  They 
have  made  some  dire  predictions  about  the  Panama  Canal. 
Critics  have  been  plentiful,  but  to  them  we  appeal  to  reserve 
judgment  in  this  canal  case,  and  allow  the  diggers  few  years 
to  "let  the  rocks  rend  and  the  dirt  fly."  One  bright  morning 
will  dawn  when  pessimism  shall  be  overthrown  and  the  dream 
of  centuries — of  a  waterway  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama — 
shall  become  a  reality  to  be  recorded  for  future  generations 
to  read. 

SHALL  THE  UNITED  STATES  RULE  THE  WORLD? 

Garbed  in  the  robe  of  prophetic  reasoning,  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  once  declared  that  "The  nation  which  controls  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  would  rule  the  world."  Will  that  prophecy 
be  fulfilled?  There  is  an  adage  which  says,  "The  straw  tells 
which  way  the  wind  blows."  The  present  indication  points  to 
the  fulfilment  of  Raleigh's  prophecy  relative  to  the  waterway 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

No  one  will  doubt  the  fact  that  independent  of  the  Panama 
Canal,  the  United  States  of  America  is  the  greatest  Republic 
on  the  globe.  England  today  is  America's  only  real  competitor. 
But  the  American  Nation  is  only  a  century  and  a  quarter  old. 
In  spite  of  her  youth,  she  has  rivaled  every  other  country,  in- 
cluding Great  Britain,  in  nearly  every  branch  of  progress  and 
industry.  In  the  Republican  platform  of  1908,  under  the  cap- 
tion, "Equality  of  Opportunity,"  the  following  sentences  ap- 
peared : 

"Under  the  guidance  of  Republican  principles  the  American 
people  have  become  the  richest  nation  in  the  world.  Our 


194  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

wealth  today  exceeds  that  of  England  and  all  her  colonies,  and 
that  of  France  and  Germany  combined.  When  the  Republican 
party  was  born  the  total  wealth  of  the  country  was  $16,000,- 
000,000.  It  has  leaped  to  $110,000,000,000  in  a  generation, 
while  Great  Britain  has  gathered  but  $60,000,000,000  in  500 
years. 

"The  United  States  now  owns  one-fourth  of  the  world's 
wealth  and  makes  one-third  of  all  modern  manufactured 
products.  In  the  great  necessities  of  civilization,  such  as  coal, 
the  motive  power  of  all  activity;  iron,  the  chief  basis  of  all 
industry;  cotton,  the  staple  foundation  of  all  fabrics;  wheat, 
corn  and  all  the  agricultural  products  that  feed  mankind, 
America's  supremacy  is  undisputed.  And  yet  her  great  nat- 
ural wealth  has  been  scarcely  touched.  We  have  a  vast  domain 
of  nearly  3,000,000  square  miles,  literally  bursting  with  latent 
treasure,  still  waiting  the  magic  of  capital  and  industry  to  be 
converted  into  the  practical  uses  of  mankind;  a  country  rich  in 
soil  and  climate,  in  the  unharnessed  energy  of  its  rivers  and  in 
all  the  varied  products  of  the  field,  the  forest  and  the  factory. 

"With  gratitude  for  God's  bounty,  with  pride  in  the  splendid 
productiveness  of  the  past  and  with  confidence  in  the  plenty 
and  prosperity  .of  the  future,  the  Republican  party  declares  for 
the  principles  that  in  the  development  and  enjoyment  of  wealth 
so  great,  and  blessings  to  benign,  there  shall  be  equal  oppor- 
tunity for  all." 

From  another  source  it  is  stated  that  "Recent  estimates  place 
the  wealth  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  at  $107,104,211,- 
917,  which  makes  the  per  capita  wealth  to  be  $1,310.11.  The 
average  person  is  worth  $400  more  in  the  United  States  than 
in  either  Germany  or  Great  Britain.  These  figures  might  be 
faulty,  but  as  they  are  prepared  by  the  best  authorities  in  the 
respective  countries,  they  furnish  the  basis  for  calculation/' 

No  less  distinguished  an  observer  than  the  Right  Hon. 
James  Bryce,  British  Ambassador  to  the  United  States,  said: 
"Ideals  are  as  high  in  America  as  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 
You  prize  the  things  of  the  mind  and  soul  as  being  the  things 
which  make  the  truest  greatness  of  a  nation.  You  can  the 
more  safely  do  so  because  your  material  prosperity  is  assured 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  195 

by  the  marvelous  resources  at  your  command.  All  that  can 
be  measured  in  figures — be  they  figures  of  dollars,  or  tons,  or 
bushels,  or  bales — you  have  already. 

"Happy  is  your  lot  compared  with  that  of  the  States  of 
Europe,  for  you  have  no  external  enemy  to  fear ;  you  need  no 
vast  fleets  or  armies  to  protect  you.  In  your  industries  and 
trade  there  will,  of  course,  be  ups  and  downs,  but  your  soil  and 
your  minerals  are  more  than  sufficient  to  provide  an  ever- 
expanding  employment,  with  an  ever-increasing  wealth.  The 
unique  mission  which  Providence  seems  to  have  intrusted  to 
you  is  to  show  the  world  how  immense  natural  resources  may 
be  used,  not  in  boastfulness  or  for  luxury,  but  as  a  foundation 
on  which  to  build  up  the  highest  form  of  natural  life ;  to  culti- 
vate the  delights  which  intellect  and  taste  open  to  you;  to  set 
the  noblest  example  of  a  people  not  only  prosperous  and  free, 
but  enlightened,  happy  and  contented." 

But  these  questions  may  be  asked:  Will  the  completion  of 
the  Panama  Canal  add  to  the  prestage  of  America?  Will  her 
already  vast  wealth,  trade  and  industry  be  enhanced?  Will 
her  resources  be  more  largely  developed?  Will  her  famer 
strength  and  reputation  be  increased?  The  answer  to  all  the 
above  questions  is  "yes." 

The  completion  of  that  Isthmian  waterway  will  place  the 
American  manufactures  in  easy  touch  with  millions  of  people 
in  the  Latin  Republics  of  Central  and  South  America.  All  that 
will  be  needed  is  an  adequate  merchant  marine  to  convey  the 
American  products  through  the  canal  and  quickly  disperse  the 
goods  along  the  Pacific  coast  in  easy  reach  of  the  millions  of 
consumers  who  will  gladly  purchase  from  us.  Will  there  not 
be  a  new  era  of  prosperity?  But  will  that  prosperity  be  con- 
fined only  to  the  United  States  of  America?  Will  not  Canada, 
Mexico,  Central  and  South  American  countries,  the  West 
Indian  Islands,  European  States  and  the  Oriental  countries  be 
benefitted?  Think  of  the  vast  trade  which  now  goes  through 
the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  around  Cape  Horn !  Will  not  the 
great  majority  of  that  trade  be  sent  through  the  Panama  Canal 
instead  ? 


196  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

THE  VALUE  OF  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  IS  INESTIMABLE  FROM  A 
STRATEGIC  VIEWPOINT,  BUT  WILL  IT  PAY  IN  DOLLARS  AND 
CENTS  ? 

No  reasonable  mind  would  expect  the  Panama  Canal  to  pay 
for  the  first  ten  or  fifteen  years  after  its  completion.  If  the 
canal  cost  an  outlay  of  $400,000,000  and  interest  at  3  per  cent., 
it  would  require  $12,000,000  to  meet  the  interest  annually.  To 
this  amount  add  $1,000,000  for  the  upkeep  of  the  canal,  and 
also  the  $250,000  to  be  paid  to  the  Republic  of  Panama  yearly. 
The  sum  of  $13,250,000  will  be  necessary  annually  for  the 
operation  of  the  waterway. 

If  the  tolls  collected  be  about  $1.70  per  ton  on  vessels  similar 
to  the  amount  charged  by  the  Suez  Canal  managers,  then  it 
would  require  7,794,117  tons  of  cargo  yearly  to  produce  suf- 
.  ficient  revenue  to  pay  the  actual  expenses  without  refunding 
any  portion  of  the  outlay.  It  can  be  supposed,  therefore,  that 
the  canal  will  not  be  a  paying  enterprise  from  its  completion. 
This  does  not  make  us  pessimists.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  436,609  tons  passed  through  the  Suez  Canal  in  1870  and 
the  tonnage  increased  to  13,401,835  tons  in  1904,  one  is  con- 
vinced that  the  Panama  Canal  will  eventually  pay  in  dollars 
and  cents. 

SUNDAY  IN  THE  LATIN  REPUBLICS. 

What  a  difference  when  we  contrast  a  Sunday  spent  in  a 
Protestant  country  like  the  United  States  with  one  in  the  Span- 
ish-American Republics !  To  satisfy  my  mind  and  see  the 
indulgence  with  my  natural  eyes,  I  visited  the  Bull-fight  arena 
one  Sunday  at  Colon,  and  saw  how  man  and  beast  wrestle  in 
exciting  combat  for  the  amusement  of  the  people.  Thousands 
were  gathered  there  at  fifty  cents  and  one  dollar  gold  per 
ticket  to  see  and  enjoy  the  sport,  but  to  me  it  was  something 
sad  and  wicked. 

One  bull  or  steer  is  driven  into  the  ring  at  a  time.  He 
charges  furiously  at  one  of  the  gladiators  who  attracted  him, 
and  so  continues  to  dash  at  different  bull-fighters  stationed  in 
the  ring.  When  the  animal  is  tired  from  charging  at  one 
fighter  and  then  another,  he  is  driven  out  and  another  driven 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  197 

in.  The  Sunday  I  visited  the  arena,  toward  the  closing  of  the 
sport,  a  sprightly  steer  was  brought  into  the  ring.  He  charged 
at  the  bull-fighters  in  a  lively  manner.  Some  of  the  expert 
fighters  had  hairbreadth  escapes  from  being  gored  by  the 
horns  of  the  infuriated  animal.  Finally,  one  of  the  expert 
fighters  drew  a  sword,  and  as  the  animal  charged  at  him,  he 
plunged  the  sword  into  his  heart,  and  the  defenseless  steer 
sank  to  the  ground  and  died,  after  groaning  piteously.  The 
sight  was,  indeed,  sad  to  me,  but  as  the  animal  fell  with  blood 
gushing  through  the  wound,  a  loud  cheer  was  given  for  the 
man  who  so  dexterously  plunged  the  sword  of  death  into  the 
animal's  heart. 

PRIESTS    HOLD    SWAY. 

In  these  countries  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  hold  entire 
sway.  Children  attend  school  on  Sunday  with  books  and 
slates  as  they  do  any  other  day  during  the  week.  Roman 
Catholicism  may  be  a  very  decent  religion  in  the  United  States, 
where  the  people  are  enlightened  independent  of  their  religious 
beliefs  or  creeds,  but  in  countries  where  Catholic  priests  hold 
sway,  things  have  a  different  aspect,  and  Sunday  is  sadly 
desecrated.  The  saying  "El  Domingo  es  el  dia  de  recres" — 
Sunday  is  the  sporting  day — seems  to  be  observed  and  prac- 
tised in  all  the  Latin  Republics.  Bull-fights  and  cock-fights 
are  the  regular  Sunday  games.  A  stroll  through  the  streets  of 
Colon  or  Panama  on  Sundays  revealed  to  me  a  well-crowded 
market,  selling  in  the  stores,  saloons,  rum  and  whisky  shops, 
bar-rooms  (which  are  more  numerous  than  any  other  place  I 
know  in  the  world  for  size),  tailor  shops,  dressmaking  estab- 
lishments, barber  shops,  jewelers  and  all  other  business  are 
carried  on  as  is  done  on  a  mid-week  day.  Thousands  of  people 
gather  about  10  o'clock  at  the  lottery  office  to  see  and  hear 
what  number  wins.  We  trust  that  the  completion  of  the  Pan- 
ama Canal  will  bring  about  the  change  by  which  Sunday  will 
be  respected. 

INVITATIONS  TO  THE  NATIONS  OF  THE  WORLD  AT  THE  OPENING 
OF   THE   PANAMA   CANAL. 

Long  before  the  last  finishing  touch  is  put  upon  the  great 
locks  and  dams,  and  the  last  shovelful  of  dirt  is  removed, 


198  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

the  United  States  Government  shall  probably  send  invita- 
tions to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  send  representatives 
from  their  armies  and  navies  to  take  part  in  the  celebration 
which  will  mark  the  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal.  Boats, 
canoes,  crafts,  sailing  vessels,  steamers,  warships  and  ves- 
sels of  all  other  kinds  will  be  delighted  to  sail  through  the 
canal  in  the  great  celebration.  We  hope  and  wait  for  the 
great  day. 

RECOM  MENDATIONS. 

The  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal  will  mark  a  new 
epoch  in  American  history.  It  will  bring  the  American  na- 
tion to  the  foremost  rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world. 
Other  nations  will  imitate  America  and  look  up  to  her  for 
example,  advice  and  protection.  Since  this  position  is  her 
destiny,  should  she  not  strive  as  much  as  possible  to  rid  her- 
self of  her  internal  ills,  that  she  might  the  better  be  able  to 
guide  other  peoples  ? 

As  we  glance  over  the  States  of  the  Union,  and  calmly 
look  upon  America's  "dark  spots,"  it  will  be  found  that  our 
worst  blot  or  stigma  exists  as  the  product  of  the  color  ques- 
tion. If  America  had  no  race  question  and  its  resultant 
evils  over  which  to  stumble,  she  could  show  the  cleanest 
sheet  today  of  any  nation  on  the  earth.  Think  of  it ! 
Should  not  every  good  citizen  strive  with  brain,  money  or 
influence  in  every  community  to  make  his  country  the  best 
and  most  exemplary  country  in  the  world?  Let  us  cure  our 
weaknesses  and  minimize  our  drawbacks  so  that  outsiders 
may  not  have  just  cause  to  say  to  us,  "Physician,  heal  thy- 
self." 

The  weakest  point  in  a  construction  should  receive  the 
most  careful  attention  of  the  engineer.  We  should  give 
careful  study  to  the  weakest  part  of  our  national  construc- 
tion, and  as  the  race  problem  is  becoming  more  and  more 
the  nation's  stumbling  block,  we  should  give  some  attention 
to  it. 

In  speaking  on  the  race  question,  Dr.  Booker  T.  Wash- 
ington said :  "In  all  things  that  are  purely  social  we  can  be 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  199 

as  separate  as  the  fingers,  yet  one  as  the  hand  in  all  things 
essential  to  material  progress." 

How  astonishingly  have  the  colored  people  progressed 
under  the  management  of  their  own  Bishops  in  the 
churches !  What  splendid  work  has  been  done  among  the 
race  in  their  own  schools !  May  we  not  then  recommend 
that  in  all  national  organizations,  such  as  the  Red  Cross 
Society,  The  National  Civic  Federation,  etc.,  a  colored  com- 
mittee be  also  appointed,  to  work  in  connection  with  the 
white  committee,  whose  duty  shall  be  to  look  after  the  in- 
terest and  welfare  of  the  colored  people  in  any  calamity,  or 
wherever  the  necessity  arises? 

And  as  Congress  has  done  for  the  Indians,  why  does  it 
not  agree  to  set  aside  a  state  of  the  Union,  where  all  the 
colored  people  who  desire  would  go  and  reside,  to  be  gov- 
erned by  representatives  of  their  own  race  under  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  with  the  same  right  as  any  other  state?  This 
latter  step  would  reduce  the  race  friction  90  per  cent.  The 
country  would  soon  be  free  from  disfranchisement  schemes, 
lynchings,  race  riots,  race  wars,  and  enhance  the  national 
standard  and  reputation  100  per  cent. 

Later  or  sooner  this  step  will  be  the  only  safe  course  for 
the  American  Nation  to  take. 

WONDERS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

1.  The  Egyptian  Pyramids. 

2.  The  Mausoleum  erected  by  Artemisia. 

3.  The  Temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus  and  Solomon's  Temple. 

4.  The  Walls  and  Hanging  Gardens  of  Babylon. 

5.  The  Colisaeum  at  Rome  built  by  Vespasian. 

6.  The  Statue  of  Jupiter  Olympus. 

7.  The  Watch  Tower  at  Alexandria. 

8.  Brooklyn  Bridge  built  by  Boblyn,  and  the  City  Hall,  Phil- 
adelphia. 

9.  The  Panama  Canal  when  completed. 


2OO  SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


•MMi 


A  Honeymoon  Trip  at  The  New  Shops  at  Gorgona,  Canal  Zone. 

Panama. 


2O2  SEARCHLIGHT   ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 


A  BASHFUL  PANAMA  LOVER'S  WIT. 
Resolution. 

For  more  than  a  year  I  concealed  my  love, 
For  lack  of  the  courage  to  tell  my  Dove; 
But  I'll  try  the  first  time  again  we  meet, 
And  speak  out  these  words  to  that  girl  so  sweet : 

Chorus. 

"I  love  you,  oh,  yes,  to  be  sure,  I  do; 
Dear,  believe  me,  for  what  I  say  is  true." 

He  visits  her  and  suggests  a  walk. 

Let's  walk  down  the  lane  on  the  shady  side, 
And  look  o'er  the  fields  and  landscapes  wide; 
Perhaps  the  heart  with  hid  secrets  to  tell 
Will  utter  the  words  ere  we  say  farewell. 

Side  by  side  Dove  and  I  went  down  the  lane, 
But  I  couldn't  tell  my  love — it  gave  .me  pain — 
Along  we  strolled  under  large,  shady  trees, 
And  talked  of  "fine  weather"  and  "busy  bees." 

Near  a  leafy  bow'r  a  bird  twittered  loud, 

"Just  listen,"  said  I,  "to  that  charming  sound; 

Oh,  Dove !  sweet  Dove !  what  truth  comes  from  that  lair ! 

Don't  you  hear  the  words  ringing  loud  and  clear?" 

He  proposes. 

"No,  Joe,"  said  Dove,  "I  can't  understand  birds; 
If  you  can,  tell  me  what  it  sings  and  chirps." 
"Yes,"  said  I,  "that  bird  is  singing  this  song: 
I  LOVE  YOU,  I  LOVE  YOU,  o'er  a  year  long." 

A  smile  angelic  crept  over  Dove's  face, 
But  went  as  she  said:  "Our  steps  we'll  retrace." 
Could  it  be  that  my  words  would  crush  her  pride? 
And  blast  my  hopes  for  her  hand  as  my  bride? 


SEARCHLIGHT    ON    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  2O3 

She  accepts. 

O'erhead,  as  we  went,  another  bird  sung. 
Dove  asked :  "Can  you  tell,  too,  what  this  bird  says  ?" 
"No,"  said  I ;  "your  first  bird  chirped  I  LOVE  YOU." 
Said  Dove:  "My  last  bird  sings,  SHOW  IT!  SHOW  IT!" 

They  are  filled  with  joy. 

Joe  stretched  out  his  hands,  Dove  grasped  them  and  said : 
"Yes,  I  accept  you ;  when  you  wish  we'll  wed." 
"Thank  Heaven!"  said  I,  "for  these  two  fine  birds, 
Which  sing  my  intention  in  such  plain  words." 

They  marry. 

"Let  us  marry  tonight  at  eight  o'clock." 
"It  suits  me,"  Dove  said,  "if  I  get  a  frock." 
"Yes,  here  is  the  money,  and  there  are  the  stores, 
Hurry,  and  we'll  marry  within  your  doors." 


THE  BOOK  THAT  STIRS  AMERICA 


Searchlight  on  the 
Panama  Canal 

Or  AMERICA'S  GREATEST  ENTERPRISE 


This  book  contains  19  chapters,  including  the 
Panama  Treaty,  62,000  words,  over  200  pages,  size 
5/^x8  inches,  cloth-bound  with  title  in  gold  gilt  letters 
on  back.  There  are  numerous  illustrations  of  scenes 
and  places  on  the  Isthmus,  the  mighty  Culebra  Cut ; 
the  famous  Gatun  Dam,  where  2,250,000  barrels  of 
cement  will  be  used ;  photos  of  Col.  Goethals, 
chief  engineer  of  the  canal  work  ;  Col.  W.  Gorgas, 
M.  D.,  who  rid  Cuba  of  yellow  fever,  annihi- 
lated Panama  mosquitoes  and  changed  the  Isthmus 
into  a  healty  summer  resort ;  map  of  the  Canal  Zone  ; 
Roosevelt's  visit  to  Panama  ;  and  facts  which  every 
good  and  intelligent  American  citizen  should  know. 

President  Taft  and  U.  S.  Senators  at  Washington, 
Mr.  Roosevelt  in  Africa,  and  other  prominent  people 
are  reading  the  book  and  thinking  seriously.  Get  a 
copy  before  the  edition  is  exhausted.  Contents  of 
book  and  testimonials  of  prominent  people  sent  on 
application. 

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BALTIMORE,  MD.,  U.  S.  A. 


READ  THIS! 

As  there  is  no  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  on  the  Canal  Zone 
for  the  many  thousands  of  colored  people  who  need  sadly  the  uplifting 
influence  such  institution  affords,  we  ask  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  their  fellow-men  to  become  members  of  the  UPLIFT 
ORGANIZATION,  the  object  of  which  is  to  extend  the  helping  hand 
to  our  neglected  brethren  and  sisters. 

To  become  a  member  of  this  Organization,  please  sell  four  copies  of 
this  book — Searchlight  On  The  Panama  Canal — which  tells  all  about 
the  needs  of  the  colored  canal  diggers  and  their  families,  also  all  other 
necessary  information  about  the  Panama  Canal.  After  the  expense  of 
publication,  etc.,  is  deducted,  50  per  cent,  of  the  funds  from  the  sale  of 
this  book  will  be  utilized  to  establish  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Woman's  Clubs 
for  needy  colored  canal  diggers.  Everybody  should  help. 

In  due  time  all  the  members  of  the  Uplift  Organization  will  be 
requested  to  sign  a  petition  and  send  it  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Civic  Federation  at  New  York  that  permission  and  help 
be  given  to  establish  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Woman's  Clubs  for  the  colored 
canal  diggers  as  has  been  done  for  the  whites.  To  become  a  member 
send  me  the  price  for  four  books  and  the  following  note : 

Secretary  Uplift  Organisation, 

1369  North  Carey  Street, 

Baltimore,  Md.,  U.  S.  A. 
DEAR  MADAM  : 

I  wish  to  become  a  member  of  the  U.  O.     Please  find  $ 

for  four  books  to  be  sent  prepaid. 


Name 

Street  and  Number, 


State. 


All  persons  are  enrolled  as  members  of  the  U.  O.  immediately  upon 
the  reception  of  the  above  note.  All  moneys  should  be  sent  to  Dr.  D. 
Campbell,  president,  at  the  above  address.  SEARCHLIGHT  ON  THE 
PANAMA  CANAL  should  be  .read  by  everybody.  Price,  $1.50  per 
single  copy.  $5  for  four  copies  when  taken  on  membership  plan. 
Members  or  any  person  can  sell  the  book  at  30  per  cent,  commission. 
Write  for  information.  Send  endorsement  of  the  U.  O.  plan  and 
book  if  they  meet  your  approval. 


PASTIME  and 
PLEASURE 


This  books  contains  Napoleon 
Oraculum,  Etiquette,  Egyptian 
Oraculum,  useful  knowledge, 
proverbs  with  morals,  story 
with  moral  lessons,  physiog- 
nomy, marks  and  scars  of  the 
body,  lucky  and  unlucky  days. 


Price  25  Cents 


For  Sale  by 

The  Baltimore  Book  Co. 

1369    North    Carey   Street 
BALTIMORE,  MD.,  U.  S.  A. 


A  POSITIVE  CURE! 


Do  you  suffer  from  Indigestion  or 
Dyspepsia  ? 

Do  you  suffer  from  Rheumatism  or 
Gout? 

Do  you  suffer  from  Fits,  Epilepsy 
or  Nervous  Affection  of  any  kind  ? 

Then  write  or  see  the  Specialist  for 
the  above-named  diseases. 


D.  NEWTON  E.  CAMPBELL,  M.D. 

1369  North  Carey  Street 

BALTIMORE,  MD.,  U.  S.  A. 


HE  WILL  CURE  YOU! 


"  Worth  Its  Weight  in  Gold" 

THE  HAY  OF  LIFE 


is  in  part  the  work  of  an  Austrian  scientist,  and  is 
the  most  wonderful  book  ever  written. 

It  tells  all  persons  their  good  qualities  to  improve, 
faults  to  correct,  gems  to  wear,  occupation  to  choose, 
how  to  live  long,  day  and  month  to  begin  any  enter- 
prise to  best  succeed,  and  business  partners  to  select. 

It  tells  your  true  and  best  marriage  companions 
and  why.  (See  Marriage  Table,  leaf  4,  and  explana- 
tion on  other  side). 

How  to  be  Liked 
How  to  be  Wealthy 
How  to  be  Attractive 
and  Charming 

How  to  make  home  agreeable  and  happy.  What 
a  wife  should  do  that  the  husband  may  love  her. 
What  a  husband  should  do  for  a  wife  to  esteem  him. 

THE  BOOK  SELLS  LIKE  HOT  CAKES 

The  X-Ray  of  Life 

12mo.      180  Pages.     Cloth.     Price,  $1.00 


For  Sale  by 


The  Baltimore  Book  Co. 


1369  NORTH  CAREY  STREET 

BALTIMORE,  MD.,  U.  S.  A. 


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